A soldier was jailed yesterday for failing to attend the Bermuda Regiment.

Private Davin Providence of Sandys pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to missing training on 19 occasions between January 7 and June 3.

Providence, 26, has been a member of the Regiment since 2005 and has one year and eight months' service remaining.

The court heard yesterday he has six previous convictions for 85 absences between 2006 and 2008, for which he has received fines and extra days duty.

Asked why he missed training this year, Providence told Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo he attended camp but started suffering leg pain.

"I was at two-week camp and within the first week I was in pain. My leg was messed up," he said. "Other people got discharged for having flat feet playing football but nothing happened with me so I stopped going. That's the reason why."

Mr. Tokunbo told him: "You don't have to like the Regiment and you may have an excuse for not going but you have to deal with it.

"You don't have to agree with this but it's the law and you've got to find a way around it accordingly."

Providence's previous court appearance on November 27 resulted in a three-month prison sentence suspended for two years, for missing 33 attendances.

Mr. Tokunbo said: "The suspended sentence was giving you a chance. Obviously that message didn't get to you so I'm now activating that sentence. You will now go to prison for three months."