A NEWPORT man has been told it is “almost inevitable” he will be going to jail after he admitted multiple counts of attempting to perverse the course of justice.

Joel Junior Burke, 48, of East Dock Close, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court charged with seven counts of committing an act intended to pervert the course of public justice, dating back as far as 2016.

The court heard that the charges related to providing false details for a notice of intended prosecution.

He pleaded not guilty to committing an act intended to pervert the course of public justice on March 24, 2016, as well as on July 11, 2018.

He admitted five offences of the same type on February 13, 2019; May 8, 2019; June 6, 2019; between December 29, 2019, and January 6, 2020; and on July 17, 2020.

The case was adjourned until September 6, by which time the prosecution will have to decide to continue to sentence on the five charges Burke admitted, or whether to go to trial for the two counts he denied.

An application for a pre-sentence report was granted by Judge Paul Hobson.

“In my view, such a report is only going to assist in the length of sentence,” he told Burke's defence counsel.

Addressing Burke, Judge Hobson said: “Although I’m granting you bail and although I’m ordering a pre-sentence report, you should prepare yourself for an almost inevitable prison sentence because the offences are so serious.”