JAMES: CANCER SUFFERER JAILED FOR TAKING TV DURING LONDON RIOTS

A looter who took a £1,200 television was jailed for nine months today (Weds) despite the judge hearing he has cancer and his ‘time may be short’.

Aaron James, 31, was feeling depressed after his first session of radiotherapy treatment for lymphoma when he rode down a Currys store on his bicycle during last month’s unrest.

The father-of-three spotted a 50-inch flat screen telly lying among a heap of other stolen goods and ‘helped himself’, Inner London Crown Court heard.

He was arrested minutes later, on August 9, near the scene in Woolwich Road, Charlton, southeast London.

Eleazer Anyene, defending, said James, who is from a ‘very respectable family of eight lawyers’ had been studying mechanical engineering at Kingston University.

But he had to give up the course in February when he was ‘diagnosed with lymphoma’.

The barrister added: ‘The day before this incident, on August 8, he had just started radiotherapy.

‘He was feeling low.

‘He went to see what was going on.’

Mr Anyene said James, who is ‘effectively of good character’, was eager to carry out work for the community ‘so he can demonstrate how sorry he is’.

The barrister asked Judge Peter Grobel to be merciful and added: ‘Time may be short to spend with his family.

‘His health situation will not be served best in custody.’

Judge Grobel said he had taken his illness into account but added: ‘A custodial sentence is appropriate in your case.

‘The aggravating feature of your offence is that you were there very shortly after Currys had been broken into and looted.

‘Items that were stolen from the store were in the vicinity outside and you helped yourself.

‘By doing what you did you were plainly offering tacit endorsement and support to the serious civil disorder.’

James, of Gildersome Street, Woolwich, admitted handling stolen goods.

He showed no reaction as he was led away.

ends