A CRIMINAL who flew off on holiday had to self isolate in prison after he was arrested when returning to Manchester Airport.

Adil Rafiq was subject to a suspended prison sentence for inflicting grievous bodily harm, but jetted off to Spain in July without staying in touch with his probation officer.

A warrant was issued for his arrest and police were waiting for him at the airport when he arrived in Manchester from Barcelona on August 21.

Jailing 25-year-old Rafiq, Recorder Peter Atherton told him: "I hope your holiday in Barcelona was worthwhile because you're going to prison for six months."

Bolton Crown Court heard how, on January 20, Rafiq, of Bradford Street, Bolton, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 12 months after being convicted of causing grievous bodily harm.

As part of his sentence, which included unpaid work and a curfew, Rafiq had to stay in contact with his probation officer.

But John Kennerley, prosecuting told the court that, on July 15, his supervising officer received a phone call from a member of his family to say he had gone to Pakistan.

In fact Rafiq was in Barcelona visiting an uncle and later claimed that he could not call the officer himself as he had lost his phone.

After his arrest at the airport Rafiq was taken to prison but, as he was returning from Spain, had to be isolated for two weeks before he could be brought before the court.

He pleaded guilty to breaching his suspended sentence. Travelling abroad was not an offence but failing to keep in contact with his supervisor was.

Paul Hodgkinson, defending, stressed that, before going abroad, Rafiq had completed his curfew and had undertaken a large part of the unpaid work.

But Recorder Atherton questioned why Rafiq had not borrowed another mobile phone to ring his probation officer when his had been lost.

"You understood very clearly when this suspended sentence was passed, what was expected of you, didn't you?" he said.

"You just didn't care, that's the conclusion I have reached.

"You didn't care about the suspended sentence but you are going to care now because you're going to prison."