A net gain

I know - that's a really crap pun, but I got my fishing nets back. The guilty party had, it seems, simply slung them into the garden behind ours but they were near enough behind a shed (ironically enough) so I didn't see them until they were moved. I went round to get them this evening and it turns out the house owner is the same kind soul who, when they spotted the shed being broken into first time round, rang Plod and told them where to catch a tea leaf red-handed. Which they did.

However, this chap told me this evening that the police couldn't actually prosecute him. "Why not?" I asked, a not unreasonable question given that he was caught bang to rights. Apparently, despite the fact that this chap saw it happen and the police caught the light-fingered git with the stolen bike, they could not prosecute because there was only one witness. I was utterly astounded: What the hell is the point of having a court system when it won't prosecute because the crime wasn't witnessed by two priests, a JP and several sober citizens of good standing? It's absolutely ludicrous. This means that anyone can burgle, rob and generally be a pain in the arse and it won't matter if someone sees them or even if Plod catch them with their ill-gotten gains because you won't get prosecuted if only one person saw you. Completely crackers.

So, after being banged up for Christmas (some small justice at least as it meant he couldn't go and pinch some poor kids Christmas present to exchange for a small amount of skag cut with oven cleaner) he was turfed out onto the streets to carry on being an anti-social menace. Don't you just love how the law really works to protect us from criminal activity? It's no wonder so many coppers now have well-read blogs because it's the only way they can vent their total frustration with a system ill-prepared to cope with any actual crime fighting and entirely centred around being culturally aware, being able to spot a diversity (whatever that is) and generating vast amounts of paper in order to prove that crime rates are falling thanks to the latest government fiddle. I mean initiative.

Marvellous. Well, thank you and goodnight.

Listening to: The Rakes - 22 Grand Job