“Have a look at this story that appeared in the (morning) Daily Mail yesterday and leave your view here please...

'It takes a huge amount of courage to burgle somebody's house': What judge told intruder who raided three homes before letting him walk free from court.

Judge Peter Bowers admitted he could be 'pilloried' for his controversial decision
Richard Rochford was facing a two-and-a-half-year jail term for four burglaries


PUBLISHED:13:59, 5 September 2012| UPDATED:07:45, 6 September 2012
A judge praised burglars for their ‘courage’ and claimed prison ‘very rarely does anybody any good’ as he allowed a serial intruder to walk free from court.
Judge Peter Bowers said burglar Richard Rochford deserved to be jailed for two-and-a-half years but he decided to take an ‘extraordinary chance’ by not locking him up.
Recognising the controversy he was causing, the judge added: ‘I might get pilloried for it.’
His astonishing comments were condemned by victims of the burglar and follow a series of controversial remarks by the same judge in previous cases.
Rochford, 26, burgled three homes in East Cleveland and tried to burgle another in the space of five days. He committed the crimes to feed a drug addiction that started when he was in prison for another offence, Teesside Crown Court was told.

'Serial burglar': Richard Rochford went on a burglary spree in February
Passing sentence, Judge Bowers told him: ‘It takes a huge amount of courage as far as I can see for someone to burgle somebody’s house. I wouldn’t have the nerve.
The judge added: ‘I think prison very rarely does anybody any good. It mostly leaves people the chance to change their own mind if they want to.

Should this Judge perhaps be reviewed by the powers that be for not doing his job properly?”