A worm turns?

There’s good news. And then there’s bad news.

This from The Lancashire Telegraph.

Judge jails violent Darwen mugger, 19, with 43 convictions

By Wendy Barlow

A VIOLENT teenage mugger from Darwen with 43 previous convictions has been sent to detention for three years for his latest crimes.

Burnley Crown Court heard Paul Smith, 19, had flouted court orders and licence.

He had previously been given a community order for robbery-prompting a judge to say: "Perhaps if he had been detained earlier we wouldn't be here now."

OMG! Wonders never cease! You’ll never guess who the judge is! It’s only Beverley Lunt, that's all; your actual Beverley Lunt.

And if she can do her job, then any of them can do their jobs.

Judge Beverley Lunt also told the defendant the offences were nasty and that he was a bully.

She said a sentence measured in days was never going to happen again.

The judge told Smith: "You are only going to hear the word years.

"You are in a different league now. It's a Crown Court."

The defendant, of Winterton Road, Darwen, admitted attempted robbery, robbery and asked for an offence of robbery to be considered. All took place in the Blackburn area.

Sarah Statham, prosecuting, told the court on May 5, a man with learning difficulties went to his local shop and the defendant asked for a cigarette.

The victim told him the word please wouldn't go amiss. Smith said 'please', the victim gave him a cigarette and the defendant then told him: "If you make me say please again, I will kill you."

The victim went into the store and came out with a carrier bag of lager and wine.

As he got home, he was approached by the defendant, who grabbed his nose and snatched the bag, ripping it and smashing the bottle.

He then repeatedly punched the victim, until his mum intervened and Smith ran off.

Miss Statham said on May 29, a 17-year-old was walking away from an off-licence when he was approached by three men.

The defendant asked the victim for a cigarette, then punched him and his two accomplices joined in.

Smith then stole the victim's phone while he was on the ground.

The prosecutor said on June 17 the next victim, who knew the defendant and had had disagreements with him in the past, was walking away from a shop.

He was approached by Smith who punched him in the face.

The victim's mouth bled and he ended up on the ground.

Smith carried on the assault, took £15 from the victim's pocket and walked away.

He was arrested two days later and questioned.

Miss Statham said the defendant's previous convictions included wounding, robbery, theft and battery.

Peter Warne, defending, said the penny was starting to drop for his client and that Smith's father would say he thought his son was growing up.

Defending lawyers have to say something to help their clients, I’m all for that, but one wonders what victims of crimes 1 to 42 would think if they heard this little swine’s was beginning to ‘get it.’

I also love that conditional ‘Smith’s father would say.’ Where is the dear fellow at his son’s time of need? Working on his allotment, perhaps: judiciously spreading well-rotted compost to condition the soil over winter; or assiduously re-cladding his pigeon loft before the winter’s cold bites too deeply' or some other poor but honest action typical of Northern working-class manliness.

So has Judge Lunt become, after so many years promoting Lancashire’s crime wave, learned her lesson? Been mugged, perhaps?

Or has Laban’s exposure of her anti-punishment, one-liberal crusade against ever inconveniencing criminals finally obliged her to realise that the worm must turn? Anyway, it's a possible sign of hope before Christmas.