Court Report: 18th August 2020 @ Snaresbrook Crown Court
I’m in Court 5 before His Honour Judge M Shanks and there’s a couple of hour-long sentencing hearings lined up.
To begin we have Mr ‘LS’ who has pleaded guilty on two indictments:
Count 1 occurred at about 6pm on 21/12/2019. The defendant approached a man at a cash point and demanded £30. The victim was threatened with being stabbed but in fact no knife was present.
A security guard intervened pushing him away and then detained him. This count was submitted as being low harm as nothing was taken although the Judge acknowledges that it was a very frightening threat to say to someone.
Count 2 is one of theft and occurred whilst he was on bail for the first count: LS was walking along the street and targeted a man who was had headphones in snatching a mobile phone from his pocket. The victim tried to stop him and what was described as a “tug of war” occurred which ultimately was won by LS.
The defendant was soon cornered by a member of the public and the phone was handed back.
From submissions made by the defence it seems rather a sad if not inevitable case. The defendant is now aged 23 and whilst at Uni developed a drug problem which escalated when he graduated.
Upon returning home from Uni in June 2019 he was “thrown out of the family property” because of the drug use and then spent 10 months living on the streets.
Some past offences were mentioned in 2017 but when the Judge asked whether that was simply ‘student hijinks’ the defence replied it was.
We’re told his parents took him back in when the covid-19 lockdown started, and they have now accepted him. Support has also been forthcoming from a former University mentor.
On 15/4/2020 he was sentenced to 12 weeks in custody ultimately serving only 6 for a set of offences that were described as assaulting security guards that had tried to stop him shoplifting.
As for today’s two charges the pre-sentence report recommends unpaid work and curfew although the defence submits a curfew would inhibit any employment opportunities.
In passing sentence, the judge takes into consideration that LS had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. He was told he was lucky that count 2 was considered theft and not robbery.
LS is told his history is “not a great sign” but the court considers he has a good chance of rehabilitation. Letters indicate his neighbour speaks highly of him, he has support at home and has taken control of his drug issues.
With regards to totality the two counts are seen as one continuous episode of offending and the sentences will therefore run concurrently.
LS is sentenced for 2 years custody reduced by 33% to 16 months because of the early guilty plea. All suspended for two years.
Two conditions are given though: 30 days of activities care of the probation service and his liberty is restricted by means of a curfew for 3 months 10pm – 6am
A victim surcharge of £149 is also payable.
The next sentencing is just a quickie:
It’s 11am and we have a Spanish lady a Ms MS.
Unfortunately, a translator has not been booked and so this hearing is adjourned. The defence barrister undertakes to explain the delay via Google Translate as she doesn’t speak Spanish!
Mouse in the Court 