Hungry Kidderminster woman stole Mars bars after benefit sanctions left her with no money for food

[J Ed]

http://www.kidderminstershuttle.co....it_sanctions_left_her_with_no_money_for_food/

Louisa Sewell was the latest victim of benefit sanctions to appear before magistrates when she stole a four pack of Mars bars, worth just 75p, from Heron Foods in the Swan Centre, Kidderminster, on June 22, because she had not eaten in days.

...

He fined Sewell £73 for the theft and ordered she pay 75p in compensation to the store. He also imposed £150 in court charges, £85 in prosecution costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

As if the actual story isn't bad enough, the fact that in the circumstances the scumbag judge has fined her £328 is just Dickensian.

edit: I have set up a gofundme page to help pay off the fine http://www.gofundme.com/xgxqhxae but we still need to make contact with Louisa Sewell to ensure that we can get the money to her

 

[eatmorecheese]

Relentless persecution.

 

[Casually Red]

What a cunt of a judge, a massive overprivileged cunt . A wonder he never had her transported to Van Diemens land . The horrible nasty cunt .

 

[Teaboy]

What's the point in fining some that has no money? What an exercise in futility.

Cameron's Britain.

 

[imposs1904]

The judge is a cunt. I hope he gets shunned for pulling shit like that.

 

[BigTom]

There was a story a year or two ago about Glasgow police iirc who were referring shoplifters to food banks regularly with people in this situation. Grim as fuck.

 

[DotCommunist]

What's the point in fining some that has no money? What an exercise in futility.

Cameron's Britain.

you can send them to jail when they can't pay the court fine.
hang the judiciary

 

[Teaboy]

you can send them to jail when they can't pay the court fine.
hang the judiciary

And it costs what, £40k a year for each prisoner? So that's knocking on £800 a week. Wow these sanctions must be really saving the state so much money.

 

[weepiper]

Chairman of the magistrates Maurice Lashford did not accept Sewell's reasons for the theft.

He said: "We do not readily accept you go into a shop to steal just for being hungry."

What an absolute privileged puffed-up bastard.

 

[J Ed]

Magistrates are terrible, what right gives these puffed up volunteer Tories who have known nothing but privilege their whole lives the right to decide over the fate of people they know nothing about and, when it comes down to it, despise?

 

[taffboy gwyrdd]

And it costs what, £40k a year for each prisoner? So that's knocking on £800 a week. Wow these sanctions must be really saving the state so much money.

The pressure to privatise them behind the scenes will be immense. I'm surprised it hasnt been run up the pole yet, they are probably looking to pick an optimum time. Having said that, is some of it already contracted out? I lose track.

 

[DotCommunist]

Magistrates are terrible, what right gives these puffed up volunteer Tories who have known nothing but privilege their whole lives the right to decide over the fate of people they know nothing about and, when it comes down to it, despise?

societies officer class was a good phrase I read the other day. But yeah, have a go tories who have to be guided to decisons often enough else they hand out shite that wastes everyones time on appeal. Of course if you are beat down, hungry and unsure of your footing- other than knowing they have the power and you don't- appeal stands as less likely to be pursued cos lifes hard enough as is.

 

[Casually Red]

Someone like that should never be left unsupervised with a child or small animal . A hateful nasty cunt .

 

[imposs1904]

This shit story reminded me of a story about the old NYC mayor Fiorello Laguardia:

"According to Try and Stop Me by Bennett Cerf, LaGuardia often officiated in municipal court. He handled routine misdemeanor cases, including, as Cerf wrote, a woman who had stolen a loaf of bread for her starving family.

LaGuardia insisted on levying the fine of ten dollars. Then he said “I’m fining everyone in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a city where a person has to steal bread in order to eat!” He passed a hat and gave the fines to the defendant, who left the court with $47.50."

 

[Ted Striker]

Meanwhile

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crim...s-jail-for-glassing-man-in-club-a2487301.html

 

[Casually Red]

Bastards.

 

[Chilli.s]

Meanwhile

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crim...s-jail-for-glassing-man-in-club-a2487301.html

Seems he could afford a different type of justice.

 

[SpookyFrank]

The pressure to privatise them behind the scenes will be immense. I'm surprised it hasnt been run up the pole yet, they are probably looking to pick an optimum time. Having said that, is some of it already contracted out? I lose track.

Many prisons are now wholly or partially contracted out yes.

As you'd expect, standards have nosedived accordingly.

 

[taffboy gwyrdd]

Many prisons are now wholly or partially contracted out yes.

As you'd expect, standards have nosedived accordingly.

Do you mean standards of prisoner welfare?

 

[DotCommunist]

plus standards of officer training and standards of monitoring for those elegible for day release. Oh and they privatised parole too. More like Robocop by the day.

 

[passenger]

hang her

 

[frogwoman]

 

[Casually Red]

The judge is a cunt. I hope he gets shunned for pulling shit like that.

Sadly him and his mates will be laughing about it over a round of golf or whatever it is these fucking nazis get up to at weekends . It'll enhance his reputation as " a bit of a character " . The only punishment he" ll get is if he asks his dominatrix/ rent boy to spank him a bit harder .

 

[purenarcotic]

In what universe was this court case in the public interest? What idiot in the CPS decided to pursue this case?

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Meanwhile

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crim...s-jail-for-glassing-man-in-club-a2487301.html

That is pretty amazing.

He noted Drew had a “privileged background and a lot going for him”. He was privately educated at the Anglo European School and got a business degree from the University of Chester.

The judge said he weighed up the seriousness of the incident against the effect a prison term would have on Drew’s City career, having heard he would lose his job if was jailed.

If that isn't a clear statement that he's being let off because of money and class, what is?

 

[friedaweed]

 

[The Octagon]

I hope he chokes to death on a Mars bar in the near future.

What happens when she clearly can't pay? Is it taken from her benefits or do they follow up with further measures later? How does it usually work?

 

[weltweit]

.. What happens when she clearly can't pay? Is it taken from her benefits or do they follow up with further measures later? How does it usually work?

I was wondering that also, I thought fines were in part based on your ability to pay which this woman clearly can't but anyhow it seems very steep that the theft of mars bars would even get to court in the first place, I think there is more to this story that we haven't yet heard.

 

[treelover]

I hope JC raises this and the number of suicides, he has discussed sanctions, but afaik, its not a key policy area.

 

[treelover]

What a cunt of a judge, a massive overprivileged cunt . A wonder he never had her transported to Van Diemens land . The horrible nasty cunt .

Sounds like something out of Dickens, what on earth was the 75p compo about?

btw, some bastards in the comments section are even down-voting advice for people to go to a Debt Advice/CAB Centre!