Express & Star

A mockery of the law

I read the report of Carl Sinclair from Doncaster, South Yorks, who was awoken by a known burglar and drug taker trying to break into his home and then his car.

Published
Where is the common sense?

Carl Sinclair went out and confronted the burglar, there was a scuffle after he was threatened with a knife. Carl hit him and called on his wife to call the police.

When the police arrived, Carl was arrested and charged with assault. When he got to magistrates’ court he had his offence raised to bodily harm which carries a jail sentence. It took 11 months of stress before it went to Crown Court where the case was thrown out within 30 minutes.

Can you believe how much money this has cost us the taxpayers? It should never have even got to the magistrates’ court. Because of this Carl has lost his job and has suffered with his nerves.

Who are these supposed professionals who make these decisions instead of applying common-sense? First you had the police, then the Crown Prosecution Service, then the magistrates all of whom should have shown common sense. Once again a man has been wrongly charged when he was only reasonably defending what was his. It makes a mockery of the judicial system.

Bob Whitehouse

Kingswinford