Mad Dogs and Ministers

The law is an ass. This well worn phrase originates in the Charles Dickens book Oliver Twist.  However, there is another "Twist" only this time its Jim Paice of DEFRA who is the ass! Which only goes to prove that the government is so out of touch with the expectation of the public.

Police forces around the country use dogs to control and apprehend the criminal fraternity. If a criminal breaks into a property, the trained dogs will track and seize anyone trying to escape. The dogs are trained to seize and hold until called off.

In a moment of madness Jim Paice has come up with a cunning plan to allow home owners to be prosecuted if their dogs attack burglars. Once more the Government plans to force people to take responsibility for their pets. Courts could jail dog owners for up to two years or impose a £5,000 fine if animals cause injuries while “out of control” in their homes.

The dangerous dogs seized by the police will be allowed home on “bail” until court cases have concluded.

Announcing a consultation on plans to extend criminal offences in England to cover dog attacks in private dwellings. Jim Paice, a minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said he aimed to target “a minority of irresponsible dog owners”. But officials admitted burglary victims would not be “immune” from prosecution if they allowed their pets to bite intruders. Caroline Kisko, from the Kennel Club, said it would be “unrealistic” to ask a dog to judge if it was using “reasonable force”.

So once more - the law protects the criminals whilst at the same time it turns law abiding people into criminals. You can't make it up.

Serial criminal Jason Reed was handed a lengthy bit of porridge by Judge Carol Hagen. I suppose six years could be considered appropriate for someone with his record. However, he won't serve all of it. Reed will get a good chunk of it removed for being a good boy while inside. I suppose committing a burglary whilst inside the nick is pretty hard to do even for Reed.

Reed had previously been offered the chance to reform, by undergoing drug treatment last year. However being the criminal that he is. Reed did a further 22 break-ins and was jailed for six years.

However, in a moment of madness, the judge became the ass. Get this, Judge Hagen thought she had failed to take into account Reed's help to police in clearing up his crimes. Most criminals know that when they get caught and they are going to get a good portion of porridge. Its a good idea to cough for all the other things that you have done. They don't come back to haunt you again later. its called "TIC Taken Into Consideration." It's also a ploy used by plod - to help "massage" the crime detection and clear up targets.

So Judge Hagen had Reed brought back to court to change his sentence. Hagen "formed her view" after the police had written to the Judge and said Reed had taken them on "drive rounds" and cleared up a further 49 unsolved burglaries. For which he had not been charged, but now have been taken into consideration. The ones that might come back and bite him on the arse later. 

The Judge rewarded Reed by reducing his sentence by one year. So for doing a further 49 more burglaries he gets his sentence cut.

Police also confirmed Reed had only targeted homes he thought were unoccupied. Most burglars would avoid homes that they thought someone was home, or had a fierce dog on guard.

So once more - the law limits the penalty that criminals face. Whilst at the same time law abiding people think those involved in the law are an ass. You can't make it up.

 Later....