Wednesday 15 July 2009

No, 'Responsibilities' Are The Last Thing This Man Has...

A Colchester man on a Think First scheme didn’t, and ended up in front of a judge.

Chelmsford Crown Court was told, although Steven Fenton, 21, of Gardenia Walk, Greenstead, was thirsty, he refused to drink water out of a jug that was available during the scheme, which is used to help offenders with their behaviour, and instead poured it out of a window.

He was dismissed from the scheme and as a result probation officials took his case back to Chelmsford Crown Court, where Judge Peter Fenn imposed a 20 hours work order.
That'll teach him...
Afterwards Fenton, who at the original court hearing which resulted him being on the scheme had received a 24-month community order for setting fire to a car, said: “I was upset. It was warm water on a hot day and I didn’t want to drink it.

“I’d done 19 out of 22 sessions,” he said, adding he now has a pregnant girlfriend and wants to put it all behind him.
Oh, just great...
Catherine Bradshaw, mitigating, said he had psychological problems from meningitis.

Making the work order, Judge Fenn told him: “You’ve got responsibilities now.”
Really, Judge? You think he's going to be supporting his pregnant girlfriend?

Because I rather think it's going to be us taxpayers instead...

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You'd think these Judges would raise their eyes heavenwards when they hear the same old excuses and mitigations over and over and over and over and over again.

Recovering alcoholic; drug rehab, bay-bee, gorrajob; very sorreee etc.

Boring!

Rob Farrington said...

At least his kid will have a guaranteed slot on the Jeremy Kyle Show in around 14 years time...

Stan said...

"Making the work order, Judge Fenn told him: “You’ve got responsibilities now.”"

He had responsibilities before his girlfriend got pregnant.

JuliaM said...

"You'd think these Judges would raise their eyes heavenwards when they hear the same old excuses and mitigations over and over and over and over and over again."

And yet, you can't blame the defence for using a tried and tested (tested many times!) method. Not if it always works..

"At least his kid will have a guaranteed slot on the Jeremy Kyle Show in around 14 years time..."

Heh! Every cloud, and all that...

"He had responsibilities before his girlfriend got pregnant."

Did anyone ever point them out to him, I wonder?