A 19 year old teenager has been convicted in Burnley of 101 offences, mainly burglaries, committed since the age of 10. He is suspected of being responsible for many more. (Daily Telegraph)
The serial burglar is now serving a three-year prison sentence under the Government’s “three strikes and out” rule.
For nine years he has carried out these crimes without getting caught. Regretably I must conclude that either he is very clever or the police very stupid.
It seems the later is most probable as Insp Mark Baines, of Lancashire Police, said: “Craig is a prolific, persistent offender who has blighted the lives of the local community.This sentence should send out a strong message that police take this type of crime very seriously and this behaviour will not be tolerated." If he believes that there should be a squadron of flying pigs over Burnley any time now!
Another Officer involved semed to be more realistic : “It’s very pleasing to see him get locked up, but I’m sure it won’t be long before he’s re-offending again when he gets out"
It is clear from this episode that we definitely need police chiefs who are directly accountable to the local community. It also raises the question of why criminals like this serve concurrent sentences, as it seems that he would probably have got less except for the "Three strikes and out" rule!
I've never understood the logic of concurrent sentences; if this was America, he'd have served consecutive sentences and with, say, six months for each offence he wouldn't be out for fifty years. As it is he will probably be out in less than a year!
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