CRIMINAL APPEAL COURT, JANUARY 18, 1988: SHANE BAR

CRIMINAL APPEAL COURT, JANUARY 18, 1988: SHANE BARRETT OF TAUNTON,
SOMERSET, GETS TWO-YEAR YOUTH CUSTODY SENTENCE FOR SNATCHING 74-YEAR-
OLD MRS.

BETTY CATTLE’S HANDBAG CONTAINING PNDS STLG 😯 REDUCED TO 18

MONTHS.

CENTRAL NEWS, PRESS ROOM, CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT, OLD BAILEY, LONDON,

EC4.

TEL: O1-236-O116.

CRIMINAL APPEAL COURT, JANUARY 18, 1988/AVM.

BAG 1

A TAUNTON YOUTH WHO SNATCHED A 74-YEAR-OLD WOMAN’S HANDBAG
CONTAINING #8O HAS HAD HIS YOUTH CUSTODY SENTENCE CUT FROM TWO YEARS
TO 18 MONTHS.

SHANE LESTER BARRETT, 17, OF FRANKLIN CLOSE, PLEADED GUILTY TO
THE THEFT AT TAUNTON CROWN COURT LAST SEPTEMBER, WHEN HE ALSO

RECEIVED A CONCURRENT YEAR’S YOUTH CUSTODY FOR AN ADMITTED BURGLARY.

MR JUSTICE SAVILLE SAID IN THE CRIMINAL APPEAL COURT IN LONDON

TODAY (MON) WALLIS’S TWO-YEAR TERM FOR THE THEFT WAS ‘TOO LONG AT

THIS STAGE’.

HE REDUCED IT TO 18 MONTHS.

HE ADDED: ‘THE TRIAL JUDGE TREATED HIM AND THE CO-ACCUSED IN
THE SAME WAY ON THE GROUNDS THAT WALLIS TOOK THE MONEY, ALTHOUGH HIS
CO-ACCUSED WAS BEING SENTENCED FOR FOUR OFFENCES RATHER THAN TWO.

‘THE CO-ACCUSED HAD A MUCH WORSE RECORD AND HAD ALREADY BEEN TO

A DETENTION CENTRE AND SERVED YOUTH CUSTODY.

‘

THE JUDGE SAID THE PAIR LAST JUNE BURGLED MR ADRIAN SMITH’S
BEDSITTER IN TAUNTON’S WINCHESTER STREET AND STOLE A #15 COFFEE
PERCOLATOR WHICH THEY TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO SELL.

SOME DAYS LATER BARRETT — WHEN WITH HIS CO-ACCUSED — SNATCHED

THE HANDBAG OF MRS BETTY JULIANA CATTLE OF GRANGE DRIVE, TAUNTON, AS

SHE CYCLED ALONG THE OBRIDGE LINK.

THE PAIR SHARED THE #8O PROCEEDS.

AT HIS TRIAL BARRETT ASKED THE COURT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION

THE THEFT FROM MR SMITH’S BEDSITTER OF A PERSONAL STEREO WHICH HE

SOLD FOR #1O.

OTHER OFFENCES TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION INCLUDED TWO BURGLARIES

OF A VILLAGE HALL IN WHICH 5OP-WORTH OF BISCUITS WERE EATEN, AND

TAKING AND DRIVING AWAY A MOTORCYCLE AND A VEHICLE.

BARRETT’S COUNSEL, MR FRANCIS BURKETT, TOLD THE APPEAL COURT
BARRETT WAS DESCRIBED AS IMMATURE AND HIS CO-ACCUSED WAS A BAD
INFLUENCE ON HIM.

ENDS