Star comment: We should protect the lawful ones
The gang of burglars that launched a violent attack on a man in his own home really are the lowest of the low.
The crime of breaking into a person’s home itself is deserving of contempt. But there are no mitigating circumstances that excuse carrying out an attack on a homeowner.
Nigel Jones was relaxing in his lounge when three masked intruders smashed his kitchen door window through with a brick.
The 57-year-old confronted the gang, but was struck with a brick before being smashed on the head with an axe.
Mr Jones is fortunate to be alive.
Understandably, the attack has had a dreadful effect on him. He required hospital treatment, struggles to get to sleep and is undergoing counselling for mental scars that are likely to last for a long time.
It is imperative that the vermin responsible for this attack are brought to justice as soon as possible.
If this awful incident proves one thing, it is that burglars are prepared to adopt increasingly violent measures in order to carry out their crimes.
One of the reasons is undoubtedly that criminals know that the law is heavily weighted in their favour.
Far from being put off committing crime by our justice system, the widely held view is that any penalty is likely to be a light touch.
Week after week we see stories of criminals either being sent to jail for a pitifully short amount of time, or walking away from court with a suspended sentence.
Sadly this applies to those who consider the court room a second home, as well as those who have committed their first offence.
As we have said on numerous occasions in this newspaper, there appears to be little deterrent for those intent on breaking the law.
Worryingly, the current generation of criminals have no fear of the law and no respect for human life.
The attack on Mr Jones should be treated as attempted murder.
When they are snared, those responsible for the crime must feel the full force of the law.
As a society, we should be protecting law abiding citizens. Instead we appear to be more concerned at times with the civil liberties of criminals and their rehabilitation.
Let us hope that the police manage to catch the individuals responsible for the assault on Mr Jones in due course.
And when they do, we should lock them up and throw away the key.
