Burglars are convicted for up to 27 break-ins and criminals can rack up eight knife offences before they are jailed, data reveals as Priti Patel slams ‘disgraceful’ soft sentences
- Shocking new data released by Ministry of Justice obtained by MailOnline
- Priti Patel once said she wants criminals to ‘feel terror’ when they commit crimes
Burglars are being convicted for up to 27 break-ins before they are sent to jail, new data released by the Ministry of Justice has revealed.
It has also shown that criminals can rack up eight knife offences before being locked up.
This shocking new data sparked Priti Patel to condemn ‘disgraceful’ soft sentencing, saying that it leads to harder crime, and therefore harsher sentences are needed as a deterrent.
The former home secretary, who has said she wants criminals to ‘feel terror’ when they commit crimes, has now demanded automatic jail sentences for prolific offenders.
According to data obtained under Freedom of Information laws, burglars are also escaping prison despite laws requiring judges to immediately jail them for a third offence.
The number of offenders convicted and not sentenced to immediate custody by number of previous convictions has remained interchangeable as a whole throughout a three year period between 2019 to 2021
For robberies, the highest number of previous cautions and convictions between 2018 to 2021 decreased. In 2018, it was 15 while in 2021 it decreased down to 9
And criminals that are convicted for knife crime offences are only being imprisoned following their eighth felony – despite the ‘one strike and out’ law that requires immediate prison terms for a second offence.
And recent MoJ figures obtained by MailOnline showed that in 2020, the highest number of previous convictions for possessing a knife was eight, while in 2021 it was seven, and five in 2019. In 2018, it was seven.
This is despite section 28 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 outlining that anyone caught with a knife for a second time should automatically receive a six-month jail sentence.
And for burglaries, the figures showed that in 2019, the highest number of previous burglaries for which a criminal was convicted before being jailed was 27. In 2020, it was 20, in 2018, it was 18, and in 2021, it was 13.
This comes following news that all 43 chief constables in England and Wales signed landmark agreement last year to attend housebreaking reports, no matter where or what has been stolen.
The deal came after it emerged that an average of 774 burglaries go unsolved every day, and that the prosecution rate is as low as 1.7 per cent in some areas.
The Mail in 2022 revealed that 1.76million burglaries were reported across England and Wales over the past five years in the year up to 2022 – but 1.41million of the cases were closed without a suspect being identified.
Meanwhile the new data published by the MoJ recently has revealed that for robberies, the highest number of previous cautions and convictions between 2018 to 2021 decreased. In 2018, it was 15 while in 2021 it decreased down to 9.
But the number of offenders convicted and not sentenced to immediate custody by number of previous convictions has remained interchangeable as a whole throughout a three year period between 2019 to 2021.
Data released by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in 2021 showed that prolific offenders – someone with 15 or more convictions or sanctions – account for just nine percent of the offending population
The number of people with 10-15 previous convictions fell from 2019 from 19,177 to 15,499 in 2020, but increased to 17,567 in 2021.
And the same spike happened between the same three year period for people with 26 to 50 previous convictions. In 2019 it was 14,519, felling to 11,937 in 2020 and then rising again to 13,126 in 2021.
This comes following Priti Patel requesting for automatic jail sentences for prolific offenders, as she has slammed soft justice by UK courts.
She has called on the criminal justice system to better pursue those caught and to ensure that they are prosecuted for the crimes they commit.
Ms Patel told The Telegraph: ‘It is disgraceful to see the courts letting so many off with soft sentences. Laws have been put in place to send offenders to prison when they commit multiple crimes and victims of crime are being let down by judges and magistrates failing to use these laws to keep our streets safe.
‘Offenders who carry knives and who steal are dangerous crooks who should be locked up and not set free to roam our streets and commit more crimes.’
‘Our police officers work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice and it is dreadful to see that work being undermined by the courts failing to jail crooks, burglars and dangerous offenders.’
And, data released by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in 2021 showed that prolific offenders – someone with 15 or more convictions or sanctions – account for just nine percent of the offending population.
This is despite receiving 52 percent of all convictions and over twice as many custodial sentences compared to their non-prolific counterparts.
But since 2010, average sentence lengths have risen almost every year and convictions increased by 17% between 2020 and 2021.
On the current data released by the Ministry of Justice, a spokesperson said: ‘While sentencing is a matter for the independent judiciary, these statistics predate important changes to the law which introduced tougher punishments for the most serious and prolific offenders.
‘These harsher sentences will see more criminals convicted of repeat knife and burglary offences face time behind bars.’
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