Is This Headline News Because It's So Rare?

The probation officer who judged Damien Bendall, who has been jailed for life for murdering three children and his pregnant partner, to be “medium” rather than “high risk” has reportedly been sacked for gross misconduct.

Because this sort of action to remove civil servants and local authority staff who screw up usually takes place months and months after the trial, if indeed it ever happens at all... 

The chief inspector of probation has been asked to carry out a full review of the case by the Ministry of Justice. It is believed the report will be published in the new year.

Any signs they are preparing their excuses already? 

Sources within the probation service told the Telegraph that the officer who compiled the pre-sentence report failed to access all the available background information on Bendall. Details are entered on to the Offender Assessment System (Oasys), which calculates an offender’s risk. It can take up to eight or nine hours to carry out.

A source within the probation service said: “The risk assessment came out lower than it should have been. He should have been flagged as ‘high risk of harm’ but he was graded ‘medium risk’ instead. As a result, he was allocated to a trainee – it wouldn’t have happened if he’d been ‘high risk’.”

Aha! It was all the fault of the computer! 

Plus Ca Change Plus C'est La Meme Chose

Criminals will no longer be called “offenders” by the probation service under a move to “reset” the language and create an “inclusive culture.”

I'd say that it's difficult to 'include' people who are behind bars, but then I remember how few of them are actually locked up!

Instead of being known as an offender, anyone under supervision will be referred to as a “person subject to probation services”.

You have to laugh, or you'd cry...

It will cover both criminals serving community sentences for low-level offences as well as prisoners released on licence to serve the remainder of their sentence in the community.

Mingling petty thieves with murderers.

As part of the reform, the term “Offender Manager” will be replaced with “Probation Practitioner”, while “Offender Management” will become “Sentence Management”.

I have other titles they could use. But, then, this is a family blog.

H/T: Service via Twitter

The Not-So-Merry-Go-Round...

Ricky Preddie was first released in September 2010, but recalled to custody in March 2011 after returning to Peckham from his west London bail hostel in breach of his licence conditions.

Then in October 2011 he beat up another prisoner, but a Parole Board hearing on December 23 decided he should be released on January 25, 2012.

He lasted just 16 days before being taken back to prison for again violating his parole by going to areas he was banned from and visiting friends from his old gang.

He was let out in July 2012, which means he has lasted just five months on early release before being hauled before the authorities again for handling stolen goods.

He was released after serving out every day of his eight-year sentence in 2013. Although the eight-year jail term was handed down in 2006, he had already served time behind bars on remand.

And what was the latest sentence?

Ricky Preddie, 32, also known as Ricky Johnson, is back behind bars after pleading guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop, and driving without insurance at Harrow Crown Court on Thursday.

How long before he's out again? Taking bets now!

What's A Report Going To Tell You That Common Sense Isn't?

Joseph Holden appeared at Oxford Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to a string of motoring offences in Headington and Cowley Road.

The 25-year-old was caught on April 8 this year and charged with aggravated vehicle theft, driving while disqualified, handling stolen goods and driving with no insurance.

An open and shut case, surely?

An earlier sentencing hearing was adjourned after presiding Judge Peter Ross criticised the 'very poor' quality of a report from the National Probation Service.

Yesterday the same court judge slammed another 'useless' report by the probation service.

We aren't told what, exactly, is wrong with the report. Nor why the judge's dissatisfaction with the probation service should mean that a prolific offender is set free to wreak more havoc...

He ordered that Holden be made subject to a three-month period of deferment before final sentencing is passed.

I expect the judge's car has a good alarm system.

Never Say Never, Kim...

Kim Leadbeater is extremely angry. This Sunday marks the third anniversary of the murder of her older sister, the Labour MP Jo Cox.

Oh, it's that time again? Let the griefwhoring begin! Mind you don't step on the toes of the Grenfell Tower mob, love...

‘This week, with the anniversary, is always difficult but then every day is difficult. The sadness and sorrow never disappear. I still haven’t processed what happened properly. We’re very lucky that that individual who killed Jo will never be out of prison.’

Hmmmm, really?

What assurances has the Cox family received that they can confidently say this, I wonder? Because with the parole board, it seems anything can be excused:

The panel said it had found McGreavy had “developed self-control”, and took “full responsibility” for his crimes. It also said he had a “considerable understanding of the problems he has had and what caused them”.

The problems 'he has had'. Not those he caused. So why won't the same apply to Cox's killer some time down the line?

But never mind, there's virtue signalling to be done:

‘Our politics feels bitterly divided. Brexiteers are labelled fascists, Remainers called traitors, people who disagree with us are “The Enemy”... it’s a total mess.’

The statistics seem to back her up. In the short period since Jo was killed, the number of people charged with sending malicious messages has risen by 38 per cent, and the number of death threats reported to the police has risen by 70 per cent in two years.

‘The people I have spoken to are struggling to pinpoint why this is happening, but what I’m clear on is that we need to fix it,’ she says.

It's happening because finally, the public have woken up to what a shower of shits they've elected. 

When Your Bullshit Story On Behalf Of Your Client Is Destroyed In Open Court...

Elizabeth Aisbill, mitigating on behalf of Beasley, said he was extremely apologetic. He had been burgled two months ago and believed he was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, and had the dog as company.

Blah, blah, blah. Do they ever get tired of trotting out this nonsense?

She said: "He is a heroin user. He gets through £40 of heroin on a daily basis. He is receiving help from the North East Council on Addictions."

However probation officers said Beasley had missed a number of his NECA appointments and he wasn't as far along with rehab as they hoped.

Heh! I believe the kiddies say 'PWND!', Ms Aisbill...

Beasley admitted having a dangerously out of control dog, possessing a knife and possessing amphetamine.

I thought he used heroin?

Magistrates handed him a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, ordered him to pay £85 costs, a £115 victim surcharge and £150 compensation. They ordered that both the knife and drugs were destroyed and banned him from owning a dog for three years.

*sigh* Hopefully they at least destroyed the dog, too..?

The Crown Prosecution service applied for an order to destroy the dog but magistrates refused as the dog's owner was not present.

WTAF?