SENTENCING

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Five yobs who stoned 67-year-old Ernest Norton to death as he played cricket with his son, were jailed for just two years. Two stones, one the size of half a brick, struck the father of two on the temple and fractured his cheekbone, and he collapsed to the ground with a heart attack. The trial heard how, before the attack, the yobs had been smashing windows, confronting another group of kids for a fight, and running amok in Erith leisure centre.

The five, one of whom was just 10 at the time, were convicted at the Old Bailey of manslaughter and violent disorder. The youngest, now 12, and his brother, 13, as well as three others all aged 14 were given sentences in youth detention by Judge Warwick McKinnon who described their conduct as "utterly disgraceful and criminally irresponsible". Detective Inspector Clive Heys said, "It is a lesson to anybody who has any thoughts of getting involved in anti-social behaviour, throwing stones, spitting at people, abusing people." (Source: Daily Mail, Oct/07)

Seventeen-year-old student Jason Leach was fined just £300 after causing a crash with a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre which left two women dead. He was trying to keep up with a convoy of cars when he pulled out to overtake a Ford Escort on a country road but he collided head-on with a Vauxhall Corsa carrying the women. They both died later in hospital. Leach admitted careless driving at Bodmin Magistrates’ Court in Cornwall.

The maximum penalty for careless driving is a £2,500 fine, nine penalty points and an open-ended driving ban but he was fined £300, plus £50 costs and banned for a year. He must sit a competence test before going back on the road. Why wasn't he given a jail sentence? You get a greater sentence for tax evasion even if it's your first offence, which just proves this government takes crime against themselves more serious than any other. (Source: The Sun, Mar/07)

A paedophile pensioner who sexually abused a girl of six was freed by a judge, who suggested he give her £250 to "buy a nice new bicycle" to cheer her up. The pensioner, who got 15 months for an attack on a 12-year-old, admitted putting his hand down the girl's trousers in her garden but Judge Julian Hall said, "In criminal terms, what you did was quite mild". He imposed a nine-month suspended sentence and ordered him to attend a sex offenders' programme. (Source: Daily Mirror, Feb/07)

The Home Office revealed that more than 1,000 serious crimes have been committed by offenders released early from jail on electronic tags monitored by private companies. There has been one murder, four manslaughters, 56 woundings and more than 700 assaults over the past six years since home detention curfew was introduced in 1999. There were also 100 cases of possessing an offensive weapon, one incident of causing death by reckless driving, 100 of obstructing a police officer and 16 other violent attacks. Private companies running the tagging service said that the financial savings to taxpayers, £70 a day, made it good value for money despite the risk of re-offending. (Source: The Guardian, Oct/06)

The Government plans to allow violent criminals to escape a jail sentence by paying a £500 fine and their 'punishment' will not even count as a criminal conviction. The system of 'conditional cautioning' would cover crimes including actual bodily harm, affray, carrying a knife, possessing Class A drugs, including crack and heroin, and criminal damage.

Attorney Gerneral Lord Goldsmith said a trial of the system in Lancashire had produced 'very good' results. He pointed to the example of a youth who had been made to buy a box of chocolates for a terrified woman whose window he had kicked in. He went round with the chocolates and a handwritten note of apology.

Lord Goldsmith said taking the youth to court would have taken months, while the conditional caution allowed his victim to see swift justice. He added, "Not only did that bring home to him very early what the consequences of his behaviour were, but she was much, much happier than I believe she would have been if the thing was dragged out."

Now he wants greater use of the caution, which carries a maximum penalty of £500 or 20 hours' community service. Other conditions, such as repairing damage caused, can be included. The Home Office said there was a significant 'gap in the market' for dealing with low-level offenders who admit their offence, but are not suitable for a simple caution or on-the-spot fine. (Source: Mail on Sunday, Jun/06)

The Office for National Statistics decided to take a woman to court after she refused to sign a census form saying whether or not she was the householder of her home in Gravesend, Kent. She was told she could have been fined up to £1,000 if convicted of failing to complete the form. But the case was discontinued as it's impossible to prosecute unless the person responsible for filling in the form admitted being the householder. The decision to drop the case has been hailed as "a victory for human rights." The Office for National Statistics conceded that the definition in the Census Order of who is responsible to complete a census form is too vague to be enforceable.

A tribunal ruled that a private healthcare executive was unfairly dismissed after boasting of being tied to a four-poster bed by her boyfriend at a staff training course. The executive charged her £200 bill to her expenses at leading healthcare provider PPP Healthcare. She had told colleagues during another course about the sex session and they complained to company bosses. She was later sacked after failing to attend an internal disciplinary board meeting held by PPP because she was suffering from nervous exhaustion.

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