Newport teen behind bars again, for hitting man and taking bike (From South Wales Argus)
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Newport teen behind bars again, for hitting man and taking bike
7:40pm Monday 21st May 2012 in Gwent news
A 19-YEAR-OLD who had already been convicted of 20 offences and spent most of the last four years behind bars was given an 86-day sentence.
Stephen John Shaw, of Broadmead Park, Newport, was given the sentence after admitting assaulting a man with learning difficulties, taking his bicycle, criminal damage, three thefts, failing to comply with a young offenders order and obstructing a police officer.
Shaw pleaded with magistrates in Cwmbran to spare him jail as he feared he is becoming “institutionalised”
by being “sent to prison over and over again”.
But chairwoman of the bench Carolyn Brooker said non-custodial sentences have proved unsuccessful after prosecutor Mark Salter read out details of his offending.
Past offences include common assault, for which he served 12 weeks, and robbery, for which he was handed a four-year-sentence at Cardiff Crown Court in 2008.
In 2011 he was also handed a 26- week sentence for affray.
Shaw admitted assaulting 18- year-old James Baines by beating, criminal damage to Mr Baines’ bicycle and taking a bicycle without consent following an incident in Bryn Road, Blackwood, on November 22 last year.
Mr Baines was riding when Shaw stopped him and said, “let me have a go on your bike”.
When he refused, the court heard, Shaw punched Mr Baines to the face and took the bike.
Shawalso admitted obstructing a police officer at Blackwood bus station on April 27, 2012, after they tried to arrest a man suspected of distributing valium.
He also admitted thefts from Asda, Newport, of clothes and alcohol on April 29, 15 bottles of lager on May 2 and whisky from B&M Bargains, Newport, on May 6.
Shaw told police: “I was off my trolley, dancing with the fairies.
I’d taken so much valium I didn’t know what I was doing.”
Defence barrister Linda Reid said: “He feels he’s becoming completely institutionalised and hasn’t been given the chance to show he can live in society.”
He was given concurrent sentences of eight and four weeks for assault and criminal damage and a consecutive sentence of 30 days for breaching a young offenders order, with no terms for the other offences.
Comments(18)
iandfox
says...
9:55pm Mon 21 May 12
corpardguy
says...
10:53pm Mon 21 May 12
Put him on a TV reality show with some other losers on a deserted Island, call it "Survival", and let us all get some entertainment watching them scratch a living (or a dying) for 12 months. No great loss to the human race, and if they haven't learned something about living in a community at the end of it, leave them until they do!
Adrian Williams
says...
11:39pm Mon 21 May 12
valleysminx
says...
9:30am Tue 22 May 12
Dee-Gee
says...
9:49am Wed 23 May 12
iandfox wrote:Probably better not to send the violent addict to a place where they teach him lethal hand-to-hand combat skills.
Send him into the army,he might learn some morals there and learn,work for what he gets.Prison in to leanient on these thugs!!
Army culture can be pretty hard-drinking too, so I wouldn't give a fig for his rehab chances in that environment.
Agree that 86 days is far too lenient though, he's clearly a danger to the public. If his victim had fallen off the bike and hit his head on the pavement, we'd have been looking at manslaughter charge and a grieving family.
Dolieboy
says...
10:18am Wed 23 May 12
iandfox wrote:He could be a target!!!!!
Send him into the army,he might learn some morals there and learn,work for what he gets.Prison in to leanient on these thugs!!
spice15
says...
4:04pm Wed 23 May 12
Dee-Gee wrote:Totally agree with you on this one
iandfox wrote:Probably better not to send the violent addict to a place where they teach him lethal hand-to-hand combat skills.
Send him into the army,he might learn some morals there and learn,work for what he gets.Prison in to leanient on these thugs!!
Army culture can be pretty hard-drinking too, so I wouldn't give a fig for his rehab chances in that environment.
Agree that 86 days is far too lenient though, he's clearly a danger to the public. If his victim had fallen off the bike and hit his head on the pavement, we'd have been looking at manslaughter charge and a grieving family.
corpardguy
says...
4:32pm Wed 23 May 12
How do you break the chain?
The Army will not take him, the prisons don't work on clowns like this, whats the options?
Unless he gets a really good shake up and some sort of "come to Jesus" moment society is looking at a huge cost for the probable institutional time, and at least one family will be facing a human cost out of all proprtion to the worth of this individual.
What price is enough?
Society as a whole has to get a grip on people like this and find out what works, I believe the Soviets used labour camps (probably not politically acceptable now!) and China sent them to collective farms (same thing as Soviets.... different climate!)
Looks like we are stuck with him as he is unless we give him a skill and a job.
Travis Taxis
says...
4:45pm Wed 23 May 12
corpardguy
says...
11:07pm Wed 23 May 12
Its a big problem and i suspect there are more of these Anti Socials about than we care to admit. The question remains what can we do with them (as opposed to what we want to do with them!)
Hevsym
says...
7:03am Thu 24 May 12
If he doesn't want to feel 'institutionalised', then don't do the crime.
Howie'
says...
10:00am Thu 24 May 12
As 'Corpardguy' says it's not what we would like to do to him (we can all agree on that) but what can 'realistically' be done which means a cycle of crime then imprisonment or a non custodial sentence, sadly if someone turns their back on society in the way this guy has then the only thing we can do is keep putting him in jail, it's a waste of a human life & a very costly use of resources, Police, Courts, welfare, probation etc, etc.
Dee-Gee
says...
10:16am Fri 25 May 12
That means specially trained community workers/counsellors help there to be a face-to-face dialogue between the aggrieved and the convicted to work out a way for the convicted to make it up to them. In this case, it could be buying the young man a new bike, or, since that's probably not practical for an addict, something more hands-on like a month of doing the young man's garden. Important point is that it has to be the *victim's* garden, not a random garden. That way, the aggrieved feels properly made up to and the aggressor can see a very real and human link between their behaviour and the consequences.
Would be interested to hear other views on this.
Matty639
says...
10:57am Fri 25 May 12
corpardguy
says...
9:07pm Fri 25 May 12
and how would you feel if the bloke who had been beating you, and you are probably afraid of him, is now in your home environment , with a shovel (and other potential weapons), being forced to do something he has no interest in (labouring) and blames you for him being there?
Great Liberal thinking!!!!! No practical use at all, unless there is a dirty great guard there all the time keeping the peace. The victim is more likley to be more abused than helped.
Now if the villan has an electric collar (like we use on dogs) controlled by the abused, it may work.
Dai Rear
says...
9:25am Sun 27 May 12
Why go to Blackwood Bus Station to buy diazepam when you can get it off the 'net for a modest price and not have to mix with stinkies like Master Shaw?
Dee-Gee
says...
9:04am Mon 28 May 12
corpardguy wrote:Obviously it's not suitable for everyone, that's why there's a dialogue first between the victim and the offender. If the victim doesn't want it, it doesn't happen.
Dee-Gee, and how would you feel if the bloke who had been beating you, and you are probably afraid of him, is now in your home environment , with a shovel (and other potential weapons), being forced to do something he has no interest in (labouring) and blames you for him being there? Great Liberal thinking!!!!! No practical use at all, unless there is a dirty great guard there all the time keeping the peace. The victim is more likley to be more abused than helped. Now if the villan has an electric collar (like we use on dogs) controlled by the abused, it may work.
NakedDancer says...
8:39pm Mon 21 May 12