• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News

‘Soft sentencing’ fears over repeat knife and weapons possession crimes

Ministry of Justice figures show that only 45% of repeat offenders received the recommended minimum six-month jail term.

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
2020-03-01 15:07
in News
credit;PA

credit;PA

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Judges have been accused of “soft sentencing” for offenders convicted of repeat knife or offensive weapons crimes.

Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data shows that 2,045 adults received at least six months’ immediate custody in 2018/19 after committing a second or subsequent weapons possession offence.

The figure amounted to only 45% of all offenders convicted or cautioned under the relevant legislation in that 12-month period.

This is despite the law, which came into force in July 2015, outlining that adults convicted of a repeated knife or offensive weapon possession offence faced serving a minimum six months’ jail term.

Philip Davies
Tory MP Philip Davies has raised concerns over sentencing for repeat offenders (PA)

Tory MP Philip Davies told the PA news agency: “Given the knife crime epidemic we see across the country, these figures are deeply concerning.

“The lack of prison sentences in these cases fly in the face of common sense, what Parliament intended and what the public demands.

“This soft sentencing from judges is destroying public confidence in the criminal justice system.”

RelatedPosts

Ministers to launch probe into the BBC’s ‘Islingtonian left-wing bias’

Brits react to new ‘affordable foods’ list

Top Tory STANDS BY fellow party MP convicted of abusing 15-year-old boy

Watch: Murdoch monopoly isn’t taking Aussie election result well

The figures, provided in answer to a parliamentary question from Mr Davies (Shipley), also showed that 165 16- and 17-year-olds – 40% – served the four months’ detention outlined in legislation following a repeat offence in 2018/19.

For juvenile offenders, this was a nine percentage point decrease in comparison to 2017/18, and a 12 percentage point decrease since the year ending March 2017.

Overall, 22,041 knife or weapon offences were recorded in the year to March 2019, the highest number since 2010 – and a 34% increase on 2015.

The MoJ figures come amid a national debate on the issue of knife crime, following a spate of assaults and killings involving young people.

Under Section 28 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015, offenders aged 18 or over who have committed their second or subsequent offence should be sentenced to a minimum six months’ custodial sentence if deemed appropriate by the court.

For those aged 16 or 17, the minimum appropriate sentence is a detention and training order of at least four months.

In all cases judges can choose not to impose the minimum sentence if they believe it would be unjust.

Separate data from the MoJ in response to another parliamentary question from Mr Davies showed that 11.4% of offenders who received an immediate custodial sentence in 2018/19 had more than 100 previous offences.

Of this group, 1.5% had more than 200 previous offences.

Mr Davies said: “These figures show how many prolific and persistent offenders there are.

“The police have regularly told me that the easiest way to cut crime in half is to have the top 20 prolific offenders in each community in prison. These figures bear out that feedback.

“The best way to keep communities safe from these serial offenders is to ensure they are in prison more often and for longer. Clearly they can’t commit those crimes whilst they are in prison.”

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Internal Migration Map Shows London Lost 68,000 Residents In One Year

Church forced to remove new statue of Star Wars stormtrooper being CRUCIFIED

Breakthrough as cheap steroid is first drug to reduce coronavirus deaths

Flashbacks to ’93: El Mariachi

Evening At The Talkhouse – National Theatre Review

You Decide

British austerity violating rights of disabled people, says UN

Weather forecast, alerts and UVB index for London, Friday 2 April 2021

Vietnam Holding Limited – Silent revolution

Boris could face £10,000 in police fines over Partygate breaches

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.