Paul Cook, mitigating, said his client had been remanded in custody for a fortnight and that this provided him with a taste of imprisonment for what he had done.It wasn't just the manhole covers, was it?
Mr Cook also said that Summers was slowing down in his offending and growing up.
Summers pleaded guilty to theft, driving while disqualified and without insurance and two counts of failing to surrender to custody.I guess he was unlucky in drawing a judge who was a motorbiker...
But not that unlucky:
The recorder Mr Belben handed Summers a community order involving 18 months' supervision, a Thinking Skills Programme for up to 30 days and a 12-month driving ban.Let's hear it for the Thinking Skills programme! I think maybe the judge needs it, though, because the last driving ban didn't really stop him, did it?
H/T: John Gibson via email
9 comments:
'Slowing down his offending'
Jebus is this what we have come to in mitigation.
You know what will bring his offending to a dead stop. Actually banging these scrotes up for once
This is the pdf of the Thinking Skills programme in Cheshire.
http://www.cheshireprobation.org.uk/files/CPS-TSP-offmans.pdf
...slowing down in his offending...
Or getting caught less as he gains experience?
I've said before here that metal thieves need to be handed huge sentences, both for exemplary and punitive purposes. Thieving a manhole cover could easily kill a cyclist or motorcyclist, and possibly cause a car crash, with who know what consequences. A year of hard time per offence, to run consecutively, would be about right, so with 20 manhole covers in the boot of his car, he'd be my age when he gets out.
As for dealers - we obviously don't want to lay any more unnecessary regulation on businesses but they are clearly failing in their role as gatekeepers. Perhaps a few seizures and sales at auction would concentrate minds.
"Mr Cook also said that Summers was slowing down in his offending and growing up" ...
How and why do these defence briefs always manage to make it sound as though the rest of us should, somehow, be grateful ?
A decade or so ago (possibly longer as time flies faster than ever) judges used to make serious, well-honed sarcastic comments to defence briefs who used pathetic, irrelevant non-sequiturs in their mitigations. A few of those now might do some good.
"Jebus is this what we have come to in mitigation. "
Ah, just when you thought you've reached the bottom of the barrel, you realise it's a false bottom.. ;)
"This is the pdf of the Thinking Skills programme in Cheshire."
I did wonder about the 'up to 30 days' bit. These things are usually 'X sessions long'.
I'd LOVE to see the success criteria for these programmes... :)
"A year of hard time per offence, to run consecutively, would be about right.."
Agreed! But sadly, you don't get that these days for murder, never mind anything else.
"How and why do these defence briefs always manage to make it sound as though the rest of us should, somehow, be grateful ?"
Quite!
On thinking skills programmes (some one to one plus 5 group sessions of 2 hours) you have to show respect to others and turn off your mobile.
We need factories back. Creatures of habit need habituation not education.
Stealing personhole covers is potentially very serious. I think a short, sharp drop may be required for some if it can be proved they caused death by their greed.
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