A top judge publicly criticised recent government

A top judge publicly criticised recent government
changes to the law as he jailed a child kidnapper for two
years.

Former Coldstream guardsman Gordon Orchard, 61, who has
a staggering 50 convictions stretching back over 30 years,
abducted a six-year-old girl from a playground last year.

Judge Gerald Butler QC told the court that under the new
legislation he was unable to take Orchard staggering criminal
record into account.

He told Orchard: `You have been convicted of numerous
offences in the past.

They include violence, dishonesty, and
sexual offences.

‘But by the terms of the Criminal Justice Act 1991.

I
am directed to ignore them all.

I am bound to disregard them
entirely.

‘But I think it right that the general public should
understand and be made aware that this is now the law.

‘
Southwark Crown Court was told Orchard took the little
girl to his flat in the Grays Inn Road after spotting her in
a playground in Kings Cross on July 17 last year.

Ms Jane Davis prosecuting told the court: `Orchard
asked her: ‘`Do you want to come to my house?”
‘ She replied ”no”.

He then said that he would walk her round the block
before taking her home.

Luckily Orchard, out walking his Alsation dog, had been
spotted strolling back to his flat with the child.

Ms Davis said: `At his home, he started to tickle her,
and then spanked her on the bottom.

‘
Orchard was well known in the neighbourhood and had been
seen with the youngster.

As a result police were quickly on the scene.

Questioned he told the officers that he had ‘done nothing
funny’.

The court was told that Orchard had 50 convictions, including
one for an offence of attempted rape.

He was said to be a lonely old man, who had lost his wife
and children in a fire in the 1950’s.

He pleaded guilty to abuducting the child.

The new Criminal Justice Act came into force last October
and has been come under considerable criticism from judges who
have to apply certain aspects of it.

ends