Strabane young mother gets 3 months for stealing 10quid pair of jeans

Bottle_of_Smoke · 03-02-2011 11:55AM #1

The family of a Strabane woman who was jailed for three months for stealing a £10 pair of jeans has described the sentence as "madness".

Alison Hewitt, from Patterson Park, was convicted on Wednesday after a five-day trial. She is to appeal the jail term.

Londonderry Crown Court heard Ms Hewitt had taken three pairs of jeans to a changing room but returned two. Police found the third in her baby's pram.

The judge said she had been given several opportunities to plead guilty.

The family of the 27-year-old said the situation was "a complete nightmare".

Ms Hewitt's brother, Niall Coulter, said they had been unaware that the single mother had committed the offence.

"It's just so sad that she was carrying this burden and didn't tell us," he said.

"Alison did wrong and she deserves to be punished but not that heavily.

"She has a three-year-old daughter and three months is a long time in a child's life.

"It is going to affect her badly.

"She could have done community service or been given a fine.

"To get three months for a first offence for stealing a £10 pair of jeans is just madness."

The judge described her actions as "calculated, premeditated and brazen".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12353258

WTF like. Drug dealers and even the odd rapist gets a suspended sentence.

This girl had no previous convictions, she clearly wasn't stealing for profit as the resale value would be at max about 3quid and in reality zero.

It'l cost god knows what to put her in prison for 3 months. What was the judge thinking?

jimthemental · 03-02-2011 11:58AM

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

What was the judge thinking?

Maybe she shouldn't have worn the jeans to court.

petes · 03-02-2011 11:59AM

Why did she not plead guilty?

gbee · 03-02-2011 12:01PM

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

Calculated, premeditated and brazen

There's your reason right there. We have a potential Bonnie, all she needs is a Clyde to link up with an ...

seanmc1980 · 03-02-2011 12:02PM

she shouldn't have stolen the jeans then if she cant do the time?

MaybeLogic · 03-02-2011 12:02PM

Condenimed to 3 months for stealing jeans?

That's a bit heavy.

Mr. Presentable · 03-02-2011 12:05PM

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

What was the judge thinking?

Perhaps he figures this'll act as a deterrent for shoplifters. The value of the goods shouldn't really come into it, nor should the fact she is a mother.

The sentence is harsh, but within the scope of punishment for the crime, so I reckon the thinking is to apply a short, sharp shock and prevent a possible situation down the line where this thief is appearing in Court every week.

The likelihood of the criminal doing the three months is remote in any event.

Yunnie · 03-02-2011 12:06PM

it will cost up to £20,000 of the taxpayers money to keep her in jail for 3 months, NI,s justice system is a joke

Schism · 03-02-2011 12:08PM

It says in the article that the judge gave the woman ample opportunity to plead guilty. I'd say the judge just had enough of the situation.

Still a bit overkill on the length of the sentence though.

IvySlayer · 03-02-2011 12:12PM

She won't do it again will she?

Maybe the judge offered her community service but she kept pleading not guilty so it was updgraded to a jail sentence. And she has some ****ing cheek trying to appeal the setence. Hope it gets rejected and her sentence doubled.

reilig · 03-02-2011 12:17PM

She had several previous convictions, that was the problem. the last time she appeared in court, the judge told her that if she came to face him again he would jail her - that was a month before this. I'm sure it won't be her last unplanned holiday.

CreepingDeath · 03-02-2011 12:18PM

Insurgent wrote: »

Why did she not plead guilty?

She thought she could wrangle her way out of a conviction.

Gunsfortoys · 03-02-2011 12:18PM

She was caught with the pair of jeans and given plenty of opportunity to plead guilty. What an idiot.

Still the sentence is a bit strong though.

ScouseMouse · 03-02-2011 12:18PM

Yunnie wrote: »

it will cost up to £20,000 of the taxpayers money to keep her in jail for 3 months, NI,s justice system is a joke

Not to mention the cost of a 5 day trial !

Duggy747 · 03-02-2011 12:21PM

3 months for a pair of shìtty £10 jeans?

She should be hung at dawn at the town square in front of a blood-thirsty crowd who'll pelt rotten fruit at her. That'll teach others to steal such valuable denim.

petes · 03-02-2011 12:22PM

reilig wrote: »

She had several previous convictions, that was the problem. the last time she appeared in court, the judge told her that if she came to face him again he would jail her - that was a month before this. I'm sure it won't be her last unplanned holiday.

Where did you read that?

drunkmonkey · 03-02-2011 12:23PM

Should have chopped off her hands, the tramp.

cojomo2 · 03-02-2011 12:24PM

Fair play to the judge. I don't think the punishment is too harsh, small punishments send out the wrong signal, and before scum like this make a decesion to rob, they weigh up the risks, and what they think will happen if they get caught.

She obviously though she would get away with it, and if she was caugh, that she would just get a slap on the wrist.

She will think twice next time.

reilig · 03-02-2011 12:29PM

Insurgent wrote: »

Where did you read that?

I heard it from a relation that lives in Strabane. Apparently her family are trying to drum up support from the local community for her but she has thieved and robbed so much that people think she deserves what she got because she got several warnings and pardons in the recent past.

Family then went to the newspapers to drum up support for her but failed to mention her past.

orourkeda · 03-02-2011 12:33PM

Theft is theft.

A shte legal system cant be used as an excuse to commit a crime

TerrorFirmer · 03-02-2011 12:37PM

Duggy747 wrote: »

3 months for a pair of shìtty £10 jeans?

She should be hung at dawn at the town square in front of a blood-thirsty crowd who'll pelt rotten fruit at her. That'll teach others to steal such valuable denim.

ah, had a great laugh at that. best rabble response in ages.

Tazz T · 03-02-2011 12:40PM

'Lee've her alone.

In fairness, she had ample opportunity to plead guilty. If she didn't want a sentence she should have taken the plea.

The concern should be what happens the child. Even if she hadn't stolen the jeans, I would have thought most mothers would plead guilty to avoid a jail sentence that would separate them from their child.

Bottle_of_Smoke · 03-02-2011 01:05PM

reilig wrote: »

She had several previous convictions, that was the problem. the last time she appeared in court, the judge told her that if she came to face him again he would jail her - that was a month before this. I'm sure it won't be her last unplanned holiday.

Its been widely reported she has no previous convictions. Surely that would have come up in court and therefore mentioned in the reports. To be honest if she had previous convictions I'd have a lot less sympathy.

Bruthal · 03-02-2011 01:10PM

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

WTF like. Drug dealers and even the odd rapist gets a suspended sentence.

Well it could be said sentences for drug dealers and rapists are too light rather than this woman`s sentence being too heavy. 3 months seems a bit harsh alright though.

lolie · 03-02-2011 01:12PM

Duggy747 wrote: »

3 months for a pair of shìtty £10 jeans?

surely whoever sh1t in the jeans should get jail as well;)

Canis Lupus · 03-02-2011 01:13PM

**** her, it's small time stuff like that often makes peoples lives a nightmare and soft sentences just make the perpetrators (sp?) think they can get away with it. She was caught with her jeans down

and as stated the judge gave her plenty of opportunities to plead.

Finally, it's USUALLY a very narrow range of people that shoplift and they generally aren't from a demographic I've a lot of time for. She won't be in for 3 months but let her stew for a while I say.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 03-02-2011 01:13PM

orourkeda wrote: »

Theft is theft.

A shte legal system cant be used as an excuse to commit a crime

It's the severity of the snetence and the inconsistance with other sentences handed out to more serious offenders that's the issue here. No one, not even her family, is saying she shouldn't be punished.

Bottle_of_Smoke · 03-02-2011 01:14PM

orourkeda wrote: »

Theft is theft.

A shte legal system cant be used as an excuse to commit a crime

No one is suggesting that. These kind of crimes should be dealt with through fines or community service.

It is that the punishment does not fit the crime is the problem.

Compare it to these to cases - guy with a kilo of cannabis gets suspended sentence

Man causes 700quid worth of damage and gets probation

Bruthal · 03-02-2011 01:15PM

Canis Lupus wrote: »

it's USUALLY a very narrow range of people that shoplift and they generally aren't from a demographic I've a lot of time for.

Was it in her genes so:rolleyes:

common sense brigade · 03-02-2011 01:18PM

she should have pleaded guilty and she would not have been jailed. she clearly annoyed the judge. i feel sorry for her three year old.

MagicSean · 03-02-2011 01:18PM

Duggy747 wrote: »

3 months for a pair of shìtty £10 jeans?

She should be hung at dawn at the town square in front of a blood-thirsty crowd who'll pelt rotten fruit at her. That'll teach others to steal such valuable denim.

So at what price should stealing become illegal? After how many previous convictions should a person be finally sent to jail?

Strabane young mother gets 3 months for stealing 10quid pair of jeans

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