Judge raps police over offences
A top judge this afternoon released a damning report into the handling of burglary cases by police after it emerged criminals had been asked to admit further offences.
A top judge this afternoon released a damning report into the handling of burglary cases by police after it emerged criminals had been asked to admit further offences.
Judge Michael Challinor ruled that criminals had been misled by West Midland detectives into admitting that they had committed offences.
It emerged police had promised burglars that they would not have their punishment increased if they asked for other offences to be taken into consideration when they faced court.
Judge Challinor said that the pledge was completely wrong, and today ordered that five burglary cases should be reheard before the court.
In a report released by the judge at Wolverhampton Crown Court this afternoon, he said: "I consider that West Midlands Police should review the current system by which offenders are encouraged to admit further offences in order to ensure that admissions are made voluntarily and that the defendant in question fully understands that the consequence of making such admissions may lead to an increase in their sentence.
"Moreover the practice of placing letters before the Court asking for concurrent sentences to be passed and seeking to influence which court should deal with a particular defendant should stop."
Five cases were today being reheard after detectives reported back to the Judge about the practice of criminals admitting further offences.
He raised a number of concerns, including fears that defendants may have been misled into believing admitting other offences could even reduce their sentences. He also criticised the fact that some burglaries involving elderly victims were considered appropriate to be placed onto TIC (take into consideration) forms.
He said some burglary victims would have been under the impression that the people responsible for raiding their homes had been punished for what they had done when, he said, the "clear intention" of the police was to influence the court and not to add to the sentence imposed for other burglaries.
Judge Challinor demanded information from the police after he refused to pass sentence on Ali Abdallah, from Newtown, Birmingham, who had pleaded guilty to two burglaries and chose to admit a further 34 burglaries involving almost £50,000 to be taken into account.
The judge said he had received a leter from police claiming Abdallah had made little gain from the burglaries.