British Retail Consortium: Retail Crime "Out of Control"

Retail industry trade association the British Retail Consortium has warned that retail crime is "out of control".

The comment comes with the publication of the BRC's Annual Crime Survey, which highlights a more than three-fold increase in retail violence and abuse since 2020.

Data for the annual survey was collected between 1st September 2023 and 31st August 2024. During that time the cost of crime to the industry was £4.2 billion, of which £2.2 billion was a direct result of customer theft.

On a typical day there were around 2,000 incidents of violence or abuse against retail workers, which signifies an increase of 60 percent on the previous year. Weapons were involved an average of 70 times per day, which represents a 180 percent increase on the previous year.

Retailers reported only a third of violent or abusive incidents to the police, which in turn responded to only a third of those reported. In only 2 percent of cases was there a conviction arising from the violent or abusive behaviour.

When asked why they reported so few cases to the police, the overwhelming opinion was that there was no point as nothing would happen. This is corroborated by almost two-thirds of retailers describing the police response as being "poor" or "very poor".

The industry spent £1.8 billion on crime and loss prevention, which represents a 52 percent increase on the previous year. Around one-tenth of that was spent on cyber crime prevention.

Retailers issued more than 400,000 banning orders to individuals involved in criminality and antisocial behaviour.

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC, said: "Retail crime is spiralling out of control. People in retail have been spat on, racially abused, and threatened with machetes. Every day this continues, criminals are getting bolder and more aggressive. We owe it to the three million hardworking people working in retail to bring the epidemic of crime to heel. No one should go to work in fear.

"With little faith in police attendance, it is no wonder criminals feel they have licence to steal, threaten, assault and abuse. Retailers are spending more than ever before, but they cannot prevent crime alone. We need the police to respond to and handle every reported incident appropriately. We look forward to seeing crucial legislation to protect retail workers being put in place later this year. Only if the industry, Government and police work together, can we finally see this awful trend reverse."

The Government has committed to legislation that will make it a specific offence to assault retail workers. In its manifesto it also pledged to introduce new "respect orders" that could be used to ban persistent adult offenders from retail crime hot spots.

In the short term retailers need to have the confidence that if they report incidents to the police they will receive a response and, where appropriate, be suitably investigated and prosecuted. Retail workers also need to have the confidence that if they intervene to prevent or stop retail crime, they themselves will not fall foul of the law.

Leicester Shop Thief Threatened Security Guard with Syringe

A Leicestershire shop thief threatened a security guard with a syringe needle.

Melvin Freeman, 40, of Oakham Drive, Coalville, denied an offence of common assault, but was convicted following a recent trial at Leicester Magistrates' Court.

He had earlier admitted an offence of shop theft.

Freeman appeared at the same court for sentencing on Thursday, 23rd January 2025.

At the sentencing hearing he also admitted failing to surrender to the custody of the court for his trial, which took place in his absence.

Magistrates heard that 40-year-old heroin addict was stopped by staff as he tried to walk out of the Co-Op, Cropston Drive, Coalville, with £25 worth of chocolate.

Staff were forced to release Freeman when he threatened one of them, a security guard, with a syringe needle.

Freeman denied having threatened anyone, but as he failed to attend his trial the matter proceeded on the prosecution's evidence.

Sukhy Basi, prosecuting, told the court that Freeman had previous convictions in relation to 19 offences.

Amena Aijaz, mitigating, told the court that her client had felt threatened by the security guard.

She said: "He was walking out with those chocolates and the security guard had grabbed him by his hood and dragged him to the back room.

"He felt he was being strangled. The CCTV does show the security guard using quite a lot of force against Freeman."

Asked why her client had produced the syringe needle at staff, Ms Aijaz said that he had been asked to empty his pockets and obligingly did so.

Asked why her client had failed to attend for trial, she said: "He failed to attend court because Mr Freeman is a class A drug user. On this occasion he didn't feel too great after he had taken some heroin."

The court also heard that Freeman was subject to a community order imposed by the Crown Court in relation to two offences of possession of a bladed article.

The Probation Service had noted his poor level of compliance, having attended only two out of eighteen appointments, and stated an unwillingness to work with Freeman in the future.

Ms Aijaz said that her client felt "set up to fail" by the order, but had been clean of heroin for a fortnight. In the circumstances, she asked Magistrates to consider a conditional discharge.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Magistrates were of the view that Freeman's offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence was appropriate. However, given his tentative steps towards recovery, they elected to suspend the custodial term.

Freeman was sentenced to five weeks' custody suspended for 12 months.

He was also ordered to pay £100 towards prosecution costs and £154 surcharge.

Robert Boden, Presiding Justice, said: "Obviously you are clearly not co-operating with the existing community order. The reason we're not imposing an immediate custodial sentence is your solicitor said you had been making an effort recently."

Magistrates "Disgusted" at Norwich Man Who Spat in Police Officer's Face

Magistrates said they were "disgusted" at the vile behaviour of a Norwich man who spat in the face of a police officer.

Daniel Dziaduch, 26, of Rosary Road, Norwich, admitted assault on an emergency worker when he appeared earlier at Norwich Magistrates' Court. He was sentenced at the same court last week.

Assault on an emergency worker is an offence under section 1(1) of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018. It has a maximum sentence of 12 months' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction; 2 years' custody and/or an unlimited fine on conviction on indictment.

Magistrates heard that Dziaduch, a Polish national, was being held in custody at the police investigation centre in Wymondham on Saturday, 27th July 2024.

An officer opened the hatch of Dziaduch's cell door to check on his welfare. As he did so the 26-year-old spat through the aperture and onto the officer's face and upper body.

James Burrows, mitigating, told the court that his client "feels considerable shame at his actions" - as he should.

Magistrates were of the view that the offence was serious enough to merit a community order.

Addressing Dziaduch, the Presiding Justice said: "We are quite frankly disgusted and appalled that this should happen to one of our police officers.

"The stress this caused them due to the health worries is incalculable. There is absolutely no excuse for it."

Dziaduch was handed a 12-month community order, with the requirements that he completes 120 hours' unpaid work and up to 10 days' rehabilitation activity.

He was also ordered to pay £150 in compensation to the officer, £114 surcharge and £45 towards prosecution costs.

Newcastle Woman Convicts Ex-Partner of Assault from the Grave

A recently deceased Newcastle woman has convicted her ex-partner of assault from the grave.

Jason Hoganson, 53, denied a charge of assault by beating and two charges of breaching a restraining order.

He was convicted of all three offences following a trial at Newcastle Magistrates' Court on Friday, 24th January 2025.

Former Hollywood actor Hoganson, who sports very distinctive body art, made the headlines when he was photographed being released from HMP Durham on 10th September 2024, which was the first day of the Government's early release scheme.

The 53-year-old was serving an 18-month sentence for assaulting his ex-partner, Rachel Usher, and breaching a restraining order that bans him from all contact with her. He was released at around the half-way mark.

A week prior to his release Hoganson further breached the order by sending Ms Usher a letter. Within a few hours of being released he attended Ms Usher's home, again in breach of the order, to give her another slap. Hoganson denied these offences, which were the subject of the trial.

Ms Usher very sadly died on 30th October, having already made a statement to the police about Hoganson assaulting her on 11th September. Deputy District Judge Natalie Wortley, presiding, had previously ruled that this statement could be admitted as hearsay evidence during the trial.

Lisa Callum, prosecuting, read Ms Usher's statement to the court. In it she described how she had just ventured out for some shopping. She was waiting in the stairwell for her lift to arrive when she saw Hoganson running towards the block.

Ms Usher's statement continued: "He opened the door of the stairwell and slapped me across the side of my face.

"He was shouting and bawling and seemed really angry. He called me a slut and said there was someone in my flat.

"He said can we go somewhere and when I said no he got even more angry."

Ms Usher said that the slap was powerful, but had caused no injury.

Hoganson denied slapping Ms Usher, saying that he had visited the block to collect some belongings from a friend who also lived there.

He said that he bumped into Ms Usher when he was using the lift.

Hoganson said: "Obviously she panicked. She came straight for me and went to attack me. I've moved out of the way down the stairs. I've never attacked Rachel. I never even spoke to her, I just wanted to get out of there."

Ms Callum asked Hoganson why his friend was not present in court to corroborate his story. Hoganson replied that the man and Ms Usher had been having an affair. He then started shouting obscenities from the dock, which resulted in his removal from the courtroom.

Just like Judge Rinder, DDJ Wortley can smell a lie like a fart in a lift. That being the case, she had no difficulty in convicting Hoganson of all three offences. The judge noted that Hoganson's account of bumping into Ms Usher was inconsistent with CCTV footage.

Hoganson was further remanded in custody until his sentencing at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday, 25th February 2025.

Pure Evil: Depraved Southport Murderer Handed Thirteen Life Sentences

Depraved Southport murderer Axel Rudakubana was today handed thirteen life sentences for the wicked crimes he perpetrated in the seaside town on Monday, 29th July 2024.

Rudakubana was sentenced for each count on the indictment as follows:

• For the murder of 7-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, life imprisonment with a minimum term of 52 years;
• For the murder of 6-year-old Bebe King, life imprisonment with a minimum term of 52 years;
• For the murder of 9-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, life imprisonment with a minimum term of 52 years;
• For the attempted murder of child A, life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years;
• For the attempted murder of child B, life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years;
• For the attempted murder of child C, life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years;
• For the attempted murder of child D, life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years;
• For the attempted murder of child E, life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years;
• For the attempted murder of child F, life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years;
• For the attempted murder of child G, life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years;
• For the attempted murder of child H, life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years;
• For the attempted murder of Leanne Lucas, life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years;
• For the attempted murder of Jonathan Hayes, life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years;
• For the possession of a bladed article, 18 months' custody;
• For the production of a biological toxin, namely ricin, 12 years' custody;
• For the possession of information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, 18 months' custody.

All sentences are to run concurrently to each other, which gives a total of 52 years' imprisonment before Rudakubana can be considered for parole. In all likelihood that day will never come.

As Rudakubana was only 17-years-old at the time of his crimes, he was not eligible for a whole life term.

For however long Rudakubana serves in prison, he will be looking over his shoulder and sleeping with one eye open. In all likelihood he will be destined for HMP Wakefield, where he can be incarcerated in the most secure and closely supervised of environments. Even so, he will inevitably remain a target for the other prisoners who will very much consider him, as we all do, to be the absolute dregs of criminality.

Should he manage to survive to the age of 70, then even then he will only be released if the Parole Board considers it safe and appropriate to do so.

I shall post full sentencing remarks of Mr Justice Goose as soon as they are published.

Murderer Axel Rudakubana Likely Sentence

This morning Axel Rudakubana admitted the murder of three beautiful young girls, each of them brimming with confidence and so much potential that sadly now will never be realised.

Rudakubana also admitted the attempted murder of eight more children and two adults; possession of a bladed article; production of a biological toxin; and possession of information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

The three young girls killed by Rudakubana were 9-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, 6-year-old Bebe King and 7-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe.

They, along with the eight other child victims, had been attending a dance class in Southport on the morning of Monday, 29th July 2024. The exact details of what happened that morning have been widely reported and are too distressing to repeat here.

One of the adult victims, Leanne Lucas, was leading the class. She bravely resisted Rudakubana as many of the children fled to safety. The second adult victim, local businessman Jonathan Hayes, was working elsewhere in the building when he overheard the blood-curdling screams. He grappled with Rudakubana as he tried to flee the scene.

Rudakubana, 18, will be sentenced on Thursday, 23rd January 2024.

For murder there is only one sentence prescribed in law and that is one of life imprisonment. However, the sentencing judge, The Honourable Mr Justice Goose, is required to determine the minimum term that Rudakubana is required to serve before he can be considered for parole.

The process of determining the minimum term is set out in schedule 21 of the Sentencing Act 2020, which I shall now explain below.

It must be stressed that Rudakubana, as a convicted murderer, is not entitled to automatic release. He will only ever be released if the parole board deems it safe and appropriate to do so. Even if he was released, he would be liable to close monitoring and supervision for the rest of his life. If he transgressed he would be immediately recalled to custody.

Applying schedule 21, Rudakubana's crimes, had he been aged 18 at the time, would fall comfortably within paragraph 3(1). That would give a minimum term starting point of 30 years.

However, as he committed these crimes as a 17-year-old, the minimum term starting point is adjusted in accordance with paragraph 5A(2). That would give a minimum term starting point of 27 years.

The judge will then consider any aggravating and mitigating factors. Aggravating factors will obviously push the minimum term upwards, whereas mitigating factors will push the minimum term downwards.

The judge will be careful not to double-count any factors that were used to arrive at the original 27 year starting point. The fact that Rudakubana murdered two or more people is already factored into that 27 year starting point, so it cannot be counted again as an aggravating factor.

However, Rudakubana has admitted a series of other offences that would certainly count as a serious aggravating factor to the murders. There has also been a degree of premeditation and planning, with Rudakubana seen "psyching himself up" several hours before the attack and booking a taxi to travel directly to the scene. The troubled teen has shown no remorse whatsoever for his actions on the day. Media commentators have suggested that the only reason he wore a mask in the dock was to conceal his smirking beneath.

In terms of mitigation, perhaps the most significant possibility - mental illness - has already been ruled out.

Adjusting the 27 year starting point to take into account the aggravating factors, I really can't see a minimum term less than about 35 years.

I should also mention that as Rudakubana was 17-years-old at the time of his crimes he is ineligible for a whole life order. Rightly or wrongly, the law considers that a youth is less culpable for their crimes than an adult.

I have seen fleeting mention of the possibility of a hospital order. That is not relevant in this case, as Rudakubana has admitted murder without putting forward the partial defence of diminished responsibility.

It should come as little surprise that the danger posed by Rudakubana was well known to the authorities. I shall save that for a future article.

Update (23/1/25): Rudakubana has now been sentenced.

Lancashire Man Jailed for Lewd Calls to BBC News Correspondent

A Lancashire man has been jailed for making a series of lewd phone calls to a BBC News correspondent.

Amjad Khan, 49, of Dereham Street, Blackburn, was convicted of sending an obscene message following a recent trial at Blackburn Magistrates' Court.

He was sentenced by the same court on Friday, 18th January 2025.

It is an offence under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 to send, by means of a public electronic communications network, a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character. The maximum sentence on summary conviction is 26 weeks' custody and/or an unlimited fine.

The court heard that Khan, who has previous convictions for sexual assault and sending obscene messages, made a series of lewd phone calls to BBC News special correspondent Lucy Manning.

Ms Manning had the presence of mind to record one of the calls, in which Khan could be heard saying "Lucy, Lucy" whilst pleasuring himself. The other calls, made to Ms Manning's personal mobile phone, were of a similar nature.

Jonathan Taylor, mitigating, said his client denied the offence and believed he had been wrongly convicted.

That said, the 49-year-old "accepts the decision has been made and will do everything he is told to by the court or Probation Service".

District Judge Alexandra Preston, sentencing, described the police's initial response to Ms Manning's complaint as "very poor".

Had it not been for Ms Manning's determination and persistence the police were keen to deal with the matter outside of court.

DJ Preston branded Khan's crime a "nasty, sordid offence committed for the defendant's perverted sexual gratification".

She added: "It makes women feel unsafe, very vulnerable and distressed, even in their own home."

Khan was sentenced to 22 weeks' immediate custody.

Ungrateful Darlington Thief Tried to Steal Charity's Van

An ungrateful Darlington thief tried to steal a local charity's van just moments after it had gifted him warm winter clothing.

Lee Geldart, 50, of Peabody Street, Darlington, admitted attempted theft when he appeared in custody at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 16th January 2025.

Attempted theft is an offence contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Attempts Act 1981. As is usually the case with attempt offences, it has the same maximum sentence as the substantive offence - namely 12 months' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction; 7 years' custody on conviction on indictment.

Magistrates heard that Geldart, who is a frequent flyer within the Criminal Justice System, attended King's Church Foodbank in Darlington on Friday, 10th January 2025.

Being good Christian people, the food bank volunteers provided him with a warm pair of gloves and deerstalker hat.

A short time later the volunteers noticed that the engine of the charity's parked van had been started and its lights illuminated. They ran across to challenge the driver - now identified as Geldart - and extract him from the vehicle. Geldart fled from the scene, dropping the van keys on the ground.

Police were called and arrested the 50-year-old career criminal a short distance away.

Magistrates were of the opinion that Geldart's offence was so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate. They also elected to activate a suspended sentence hanging over his head.

Geldart was jailed for a total of 30 weeks (16 weeks for the attempted theft; 14 weeks consecutive for the activated suspended sentence).

Detective Inspector Claire Callaghan, from Darlington CID, said: "King's Church provide vital support to the most vulnerable in our community - to target them in this way is despicable.

"I hope Geldart uses his time in prison to reflect on his actions and their consequences.

"We'd like to thank the staff and volunteers at King’s Church for their quick-thinking actions at the scene, which ultimately stopped Geldart from being able to make off in the van."

Hung Jury in Just Stop Oil Heathrow Criminal Damage Trial

The jury has failed to reach a verdict in the trial of two Just Stop Oil activists accused of criminal damage.

Phoebe Plummer, 23, and Jane Touil, 58, are accused of causing £8,000 worth of damage at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday, 30th July 2024. That valuation is considerably less than the initial £50,000 estimate.

The pair were on trial at Isleworth Crown Court, but HHJ Hannah Duncan discharged the jury on Thursday, 16th January 2025.

Just Stop Oil recorded the incident, which you can view below.

A retrial will take place in 2026.

You can read my earlier thoughts on this kind of nonsense in an earlier article.

Driving Ban for Dippy Actress Who Thinks The White Cliffs of Dover Are Made of Cheese

A former Coronation Street actress has been disqualified from driving for failing to provide police with information about who was driving her speeding car.

Helen Flanagan, 34, of Bolton, Greater Manchester, previously admitted two offences of failing to identify the driver of a motor vehicle.

She appeared at Wirral Magistrates' Court for an exceptional hardship hearing on Wednesday, 15th January 2025.

Failing to provide information about the driver of a vehicle is an offence under section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. The maximum penalty on summary conviction is a fine at level 3 (£1,000). The offence also attracts 6 penalty points.

Flanagan, who lives in a village "10 minutes' drive from the nearest supermarket", told the court that she was "struggling financially" and would "really struggle without a car".

The mother-of-three said that she relies on her car to get her youngest, Charlie, to nursery each morning and it would be "very, very expensive" if she had to use a taxi for the journey. She told the court that she currently earns around £70,000 from her online presence.

Magistrates heard that Flanagan's £66,000 Audi Q7 was clocked speeding twice at different locations in Merseyside in June 2024. On the first occasion it was recorded travelling at 42 mph in a 30 mph limit; the second time at 51 mph in a 40 mph limit.

Flanagan, who previously starred as perhaps the wimpiest contestant ever on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, told the court that her partner, former professional footballer Robbie Talbot, had been behind the wheel of the speeding car. That being the case, she had passed him the section 172 notice to complete and return to Merseyside Police.

Mr Talbot said he had completed the paperwork, but the police, however, claimed never to have received it. In any event, it was Flanagan's responsibility, as registered keeper of the vehicle, to ensure the forms were correctly completed and returned.

Addressing the court, the 34-year-old actress said: "I very stupidly and naively thought it was acceptable for my boyfriend to reply on my behalf to explain to the police it was him that (was) driving, it wasn't me."

Drawing the application to a close, Patrick Boyers, for Flanagan, said: "She is a single mother of three children and she is doing her best.

"I would invite you to see round the haze of social media influencer branding. I would invite you to look at this case on the cold, hard facts of who is in front of you and I would invite you to find that exceptional hardship is a real possibility."

Magistrates were unconvinced.

Flanagan was fined £2,000 (£1,000 for each offence) and ordered to pay £800 surcharge and £110 towards prosecution costs.

Her licence was also endorsed with a further 12 penalty points, taking the total to 18 and making the actress liable for a totting disqualification. 

She was disqualified from driving for a period of 6 months.

Mike Amesbury: Labour MP Admits Thumping Constituent

A Labour MP has admitted thumping a constituent during an early morning altercation.

Michael (Mike) Amesbury, 55, of College Drive, Frodsham, Cheshire, admitted an offence of assault by beating when he appeared at Chester Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 16th January 2025.

Assault by beating, an offence contrary to section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, has a maximum sentence of 26 weeks' custody on summary conviction. You can read more about this offence in my earlier article.

District Judge Tan Ikram presided over the hearing.

Amesbury is the MP for the Runcorn and Helsby constituency, which includes the town of Frodsham where the assault took place during the early hours of Saturday, 26th October 2024. The former union man has been an MP since 2017.

Footage of the assault was circulated within a few hours. The initial video appeared to leave some doubt as to who the aggressor was, with Amesbury quickly releasing a statement saying that he "felt threatened" by the victim, Paul Fellows.

A second video emerged that helped to clarify Amesbury's poor recollection of events. That video, embedded below, showed Amesbury and Mr Fellows engaged in conversation. Mr Fellows was seemingly calm and had his hands in his pockets. Amesbury, on the other hand, was clearly animated, squaring up close to Mr Fellows and gesturing towards him.

As Mr Fellows briefly looked away, Amesbury took the opportunity to direct a punch towards his head. Mr Fellows, clearly taken by surprise at the situation, then fell to the ground where Amesbury punched him at least a further five times to the head. Onlookers were heard trying to break up the scuffle, but Amesbury continued punching Mr Fellows.

Alison Storey, prosecuting, told the court that the altercation arose due to a disagreement over the closure of a local bridge. Both Amesbury and Mr Fellows had been drinking earlier in the evening.

Mr Fellows had seen Amesbury and approached to ask him about the bridge, to which the MP replied it was "nothing to do with me".

She described how the MP punched Mr Fellows when his head was turned, which resulted in him falling to the ground.

Once Mr Fellows was on the ground, Amesbury said to him: "You won't threaten your MP again will you, you fucking soft lad?"

Mr Fellows sought medical attention after the assault, which left him with a lump to the head and headaches.

Amesbury initially told police he had been acting in self-defence, but has now changed his tune - no doubt because the evidence seems to disprove it.

Richard Derby, mitigating, described his client as a man "not of considerable means".

He described the incident as "regrettable and unfortunate" and said that Amesbury had "rightly or wrongly" misinterpreted what Mr Fellows had said.

Mr Derby told the court that the 55-year-old politician had suffered threats as a result of the incident.

DJ Ikram ordered the completion of a pre-sentence report, indicating that all sentencing options remained on the table. The judge noted that the offence seemed to be one of higher culpability, given the way Amesbury aimed repeated punches at Mr Fellows when he was down on the ground.

Amesbury was granted unconditional bail until his sentencing hearing on Monday, 24th February 2025.

Amesbury has now been expelled from the Labour party, having previously been suspended.

Despite his conviction, there is no guarantee Amesbury will lose his Parliamentary seat. That will only happen if he loses a recall petition, thereby triggering a by-election. A recall petition will only be held if he receives a custodial sentence, which is pretty unlikely. Even if a by-election was triggered, Amesbury could stand again if he wanted to.

There may well be pressure exerted on Amesbury to stand aside voluntarily. As that would mean foregoing £7,500 a month in Parliamentary salary and as many expenses as you can shake a stick at, whether he'll actually do that remains to be seen.

My guess, FWIW, is that Amesbury will want to cling on for as long as he can. Having spent the last eight years on the Westminster gravy train, it will be a real culture shock for him having to buy his own loaves of bread, pints of milk and newspapers - in other words, to return to life in the real world.

Kidderminster Burglar Jailed for Thieving from Hospice

A Kidderminster burglar has been jailed for thieving from the local hospice.

Josh Plant, 29, of no fixed abode, admitted four offences of burglary at earlier hearings.

He was sentenced at Worcester Magistrates' Court on Friday, 10th January 2025.

Burglary is an offence under section 9 of the Theft Act 1968. Burglary of a dwelling, as in this case, has a maximum sentence of 14 years' custody on conviction on indictment; 12 months' custody on summary conviction. I have previously written a guide to the offence of burglary, which some readers may find of interest.

Magistrates heard that Plant stole £184 worth of meat from Aldi, Kidderminster on Friday, 24th May 2024.

A few days later, on Tuesday, 28th May 2024, Plant entered the reception area of St Richard's Hospice, Kidderminster from where he stole a charity collection box containing an unknown amount of cash donations.

On Sunday, 2nd June 2024, he returned to the hospice in order to steal further items, but on that occasion he left empty-handed.

The fourth offence took place on Tuesday, 12th June 2024 when Plant entered WHSmith, Kidderminster from where he stole and unknown number of scratchcards.

Magistrates' we of the opinion that Plant's offences, when considered in the round, were so serious that only a custodial sentence was appropriate.

He was sentenced to 26 weeks' immediate custody and ordered to pay the statutory surcharge.

South Cumbrian Drink Driver Disqualified for 36 Months

A South Cumbrian repeat drink driver has been banned from the roads for the next 36 months.

Blake Cavin, 30, of Market Street, Flookburgh, Grange-over-Sands, admitted an offence of driving a motor vehicle when the amount of alcohol in his breath exceeded the prescribed limit.

He appeared at South Cumbria Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 8th January 2025.

Driving whilst over the prescribed limit is an offence contrary to section 5(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and has a maximum sentence of 26 weeks' custody and/or a fine at level 5 (unlimited) on summary conviction.

Magistrates heard that Cavin, who has a relevant previously conviction from 2017, came to the attention of police as he drove his Land Rover Freelander on Market Street, Grange-over-Sands, on Monday, 16th December 2024.

Officers had cause to stop Cavin's vehicle and required him to provide a preliminary specimen of breath. 

On failing the roadside breath test, the fully compliant 30-year-old was arrested and taken to Kendal Police Station, where he provided an evidential specimen of breath containing 47 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath (the prescribed limit being 35 microgrammes).

Simon Farnsworth, mitigating, said: "He had been at home and received a message from a friend asking if he wanted to go out for a drink after work. He originally said no but a friend then popped a wedding invitation through his door.

"One drink turned to three pints and he then foolishly took the decision to drive home."

Magistrates heard that Cavin had recently experienced family bereavement and the breakdown of a relationship.

His employer, a local steel fabrication company, is standing by him, notwithstanding the difficulties he now faces travelling the 20 miles to work.

Magistrates sentenced fined Cavin £323 and disqualified him from driving for a period of 36 months.

He was also ordered to pay £129 surcharge and £85 towards prosecution costs.

Addressing the defendant, Gillian Sutton, Presiding Justice, said: "This was a very stupid decision. I am sure I do not need to tell you that it is going to cause you enormous problems.

"If you drive again, the consequences will be very serious. The likelihood is you will be going through the back door and in a prison van to custody."

North Wales Police Chief Nabs Shop Thief

A North Wales shop thief was nabbed by the local police chief.

Michael Smith, 39, of Dinas Dinlle, Caernarfon, admitted shop theft when he appeared at Llandudno Magistrates Court on Wednesday, 8th January 2025.

Theft is an offence under section 1 of the Theft Act 1968. Shop theft of items under the value of £200 is dealt with as a summary offence, with the maximum penalty of 26 weeks' custody and/or an unlimited fine. We have previously written an article on the legalities surrounding theft.

The hapless thief was arrested by North Wales Police Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, when she saw him being detained by security staff at Marks and Spencer, Llandudno, on the afternoon of Friday, 15th November 2024.

Smith was detained having attempted to walk away with almost £270 worth of clothing from the store.

He was fined £200 by Magistrates.

Speaking after the hearing, Chief Constable Blakeman said: "Retail crime has a significant impact on victims. It damages businesses, communities and impacts staff and customers who are present, which is why we are committed to doing all we can to reduce thefts and pursue offenders like Smith.

"Over the last year, we have made significant strides in our fight against retail crime, strengthening relationships with retailers, greatly improving information sharing and concentrating patrols in hotspot areas, which has had a positive impact.

"We continue to work hard on this progress, whilst also taking proactive steps to disrupt or negate repeat offending because of drug or alcohol addictions."

Just Stop Oil Protestors Sentenced for Blocking Major London Thoroughfare

Four Just Stop Oil protestors have been sentenced for blocking a major London thoroughfare.

Ishani Milward-Bose, Daniel Wills, Anthony Bradley and Alice Brown were previously convicted of interference with key national infrastructure.

They were sentenced at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday, 6th January 2025.

Interference with key national infrastructure is an offence under section 7(1) of the Public Order Act 2023. The offence, which is triable either way, has a maximum sentence of 12 months' custody on summary conviction (and the same on conviction on indictment).

The court heard that the group blocked the A41 Hendon Way during rush hour on the morning of Monday, 13th November 2023.

The three-hour protest disrupted the journeys of thousands of motorists.

Jessica Atkinson, mitigating, said: "The defendants are no longer involved in Just Stop Oil, have accepted early responsibility for their action and indicated they do not intend to do this again.

"These are four productive members of society.

"These defendants are otherwise law-abiding citizens with very promising futures."

That's an entirely subjective view.

Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring, sentencing, told the quartet that their actions were "relatively sophisticated and pre-planned... causing significant harm and inconvenience".

However, he tempered his remarks with: "I am clear there is no public interest in sending you to prison today, or suspending such a sentence."

Each defendant was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 120 hours' unpaid work requirement.

They were also ordered to pay a surcharge of £114 and prosecution costs of £85.

Elsewhere in Just Stop Oil land the show trial of Phoebe Plummer and Jane Touil gets underway at Isleworth Crown Court. It's a show trial in the sense that neither denies causing the damage in question, nor do they have a plausible substantive defence, but they're hoping they can tug on the environmental heart strings of jury members.

The pair are accused of causing £50,000 worth of criminal damage at Heathrow Airport. You can read about their alleged antics in my earlier article.

Irresponsible Rapper Stormzy Banned from Driving

Multi award winning rapper Stormzy has been banned from driving after admitting using a mobile phone at the wheel.

The 31-year-old, real name Michael Ebenazer Owuo Junior, admitted the matter, which has been rumbling on for quite some time, in a letter to Wimbledon Magistrates' Court. He was sentenced in absence on Thursday, 2nd January 2024.

Owuo was previously before the court, in a manner of speaking, in July 2024, when he admitted having excessively tinted windows on his Lamboghini Uros.

The mobile phone offence took place as he was driving a Rolls-Royce Wraith on Adison Street, west Kensington, on the afternoon of Thursday, 7th March 2024.

An undercover police officer witnessed him using the device, so knocked on the heavily tinted (some people never learn) passenger side window and advised him to "get rid of your tints and get off the phone".

Owuo had six points on his licence prior to Thursday's hearing.

District Judge Andrew Sweet, sentencing, noted that Owuo's driving record was "not good" and criticised his "dangerous and irresponsible" actions.

Owuo was fined £2,010.

His licence was endorsed with a further six points, making him liable for a totting disqualification.

DJ Sweet disqualified Owuo from driving for a period of nine months.