Following the conviction of Andrews, a statement was issued by Wiltshire Police which may be read here. It is good to know that the Wiltshire Police "respect the decision of the court"!
Law and Lawyers looked at the exacting professional standards expected of the Police here. Further blogging on this story may be read at David Allen Green's blog.
The Wiltshire Police sutody suites were inspected by HM Inspectorate of Prisons and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in 2009 and their report is here. Hopefully, they will continue to check on progress regarding implementation of the considerable number of recommendations which they made. Also, I wonder whether other Forces will read the report and check to see how they measure up against the same recommendations?
Addendum: Police Sergeant Andrews has been granted bail pending appeal against both conviction and sentence - see Guardian 13th September.
This is not justice
ReplyDeleteif it was a member of public he would have been tried in Crown court and iprisioned for 2 years atleast. That is why police does what it wants .They have no fear of anything . He will be out in 3 months , then he will be given a job in another police force by his sympathisers in the force . He will do it again , next time with the cameras switched off .
I must add my concern that the DJ or a bench retained jurisdiction. It must be assumed that an "all options" PSR had been requested and that adds to bewilderment. I find it difficult to believe that any of my colleagues would have desisted from sending to Crown Court for sentence even in the unlikely event that jurisdiction had been retained.
ReplyDeleteJ.P.s in my opinion are generally over cautious insofar as sending matters to Crown Court. I recollect Jack Straw a year or so ago arguing that c 20,000 cases sent resulted in sentences of 6 months or fewer.
Assault occasioning actual bodily harm is triable either-way. I am also very surprised that any magistrates' court retained jurisdiction in the case given that a magistrates court has a maximum sentencing power of 6 months imprisonment. Also, having found him guilty, I wonder why the magistrates' court did not commit him to Crown Court for sentence. A further point relates to compensation which a magistrates' court is able award and must give reasons if it does not.
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