MEDIA RELEASE Criminal Courts Charge case-studies The Criminal Courts Charge was introduced in April 2015. The following court cases are among hundreds that have been reported by local media. A 37-year-old homeless man, who jumped in front of a car in breach of an Asbo, was jailed for 12 weeks by magistrates in Taunton, Somerset, and ordered to pay a £180 criminal courts charge and an £80 victim surcharge. (Thisisthewestcountry.co.uk, 9 May 2015) http://www.thisisthewestcountry.co.uk/news/12937282.Thief_gets_sent_down _for_99_days___more_from_Taunton_Magistrates__Courts/ A 26-year-old homeless man who stole a can of Red Bull worth 99p from a supermarket in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay a £150 criminal courts charge and a £15 victim surcharge. (Shields Gazette, 27 May 2015) http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/crime/man-hit-with-165-court-bill-after- stealing-99p-drink-from-south-shields-store-1-7279307 A 26-year-old homeless man who admitted stealing drinks and chocolate worth £4.80 from a shop in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, was jailed for four weeks because of his lengthy record and made to pay a £150 criminal courts charge and an £80 victim surcharge. (Mansfield and Ashfield Chad, 18 May 2015) http://www.chad.co.uk/news/crime/reports-from-the-courts-1-7265941 A 50-year-old homeless man breached an Asbo by entering an area in Taunton, Somerset, he was barred from. He was detained in the courthouse and ordered to pay a £180 criminal courts charge. (Thisisthewestcountry.co.uk, 8 June 2015) http://www.thisisthewestcountry.co.uk/news/13319137.Thieves__drink_drivers _and_an_ASBO_breacher___see_who_s_been_in_Taunton_Magistrates__C ourts/ A 41-year-old man who stole two tubs of ice cream worth £9.58 from a shop in Coventry, Warwickshire, was given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a £150 criminal courts charge, £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge. (Coventry Telegraph, 9 June 2015) http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-magistrates- court-being-drunk-9376948 A 27-year-old man who “trespassed” at a shop in Poole, Dorset, and stole three cans of drink to a value of £6.64 was ordered to pay £6.64 in compensation, a £15 victim surcharge and a £180 criminal courts charge. (Bournemouth Daily Echo, 10 June 2015) http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/13321119.In_The_Dock__12_peopl e_who_have_appeared_in_court_from_Bournemouth/ A 19-year-old man admitted stealing sweets and ice cream to the value of £5 from a supermarket in Torquay, Devon, whilst subject to a conditional discharge imposed for two thefts. He was ordered to pay a £35 fine, a £180 criminal courts charge, a £20 victim surcharge and £85 costs. (Herald Express, 10 June 2015) http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk/courts-10-06-15/story-26694172- detail/story.html A 37-year-old woman who stole shampoo worth £2.39 from a shop in Banbury, Oxfordshire, was given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a £150 criminal courts charge, £35 costs and a £15 victim surcharge. (Banbury Cake, 11 June 2015) http://www.banburycake.co.uk/news/13324174.Scales_of_Justice__18_cases _heard_at_Banbury_Magistrates_Court/ A 33-year-old man pleaded guilty to stealing two gammon steaks from a shop in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. He was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a £150 criminal court charge, £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge. (Stoke Sentinel, 13 June 2015) http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/s-court-latest-cases-North-Staffordshire-June- 13/story-26690462-detail/story.html A 43-year-old man admitted breaching a criminal behaviour order by sitting on the ground within five metres of a shop without a reasonable excuse in Oxford, Oxfordshire. He was fined £100 and ordered to pay a £180 criminal courts charge, £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge. (Witney Gazette, 15 June 2015) http://www.witneygazette.co.uk/news/13329749.Scales_of_Justice__15_case s_heard_at_Oxford_and_Banbury_Magistrates_Court/ A judge at Exeter Crown Court questioned the viability of the criminal courts charge after imposing a mandatory £900 fee on a homeless shoplifter. As the 29-year-old defendant was led away, Judge Alan Large asked: “He cannot afford to feed himself, so what are the prospects of him paying £900?” (Exeter Express & Echo, 18 June 2015) http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Exeter-judge-questions-900-court- charge-homeless/story-26722936-detail/story.html A 21-year-old man from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, was committed to prison for 28 days for breaching an existing court order and stealing a sandwich and a bottle of cider from a shop. He was ordered to pay compensation of £15.21 and a £150 criminal courts charge. (Ilkeston Advertiser, 19 June 2015) http://www.ilkestonadvertiser.co.uk/news/local/who-from-ilkeston-has-been- before-the-courts-1-7316840 A 38-year-old homeless man admitted persistently begging in Oxford, Oxfordshire, and breached an Asbo prohibiting him from sitting within 10 metres of a cash machine. He was jailed for 30 days and ordered to pay a £150 criminal courts charge. (Oxford Mail, 22 June 2015) http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/13344056.Scales_of_Justice__16_cases_h eard_at_Oxford_Magistrates_Court/ A 45-year-old man admitted two counts of begging, and failing to comply with a police officer’s request to stop drinking in public in Coventry, Warwickshire. He was given a 12-month Criminal Behaviour Order and ordered to pay a £300 criminal courts charge, a £150 fine and a £40 victim surcharge. (Coventry Telegraph, 29 June 2015) http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-magistrates- court-stealing-400-9521074 A 31-year-old woman from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, admitted stealing shower gel worth £2.39 from a pharmacy. She was jailed for 14 days and ordered to pay a £150 criminal courts charge, a £20 victim surcharge and £2.39 in compensation. (Worksop Guardian, 29 June 2015) http://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/local/court-results-worksop-and- retford-1-7332771 A 30-year-old homeless woman was convicted in her absence of begging in a car park in Coventry, Warwickshire. She was ordered to pay a £150 criminal courts charge, a £30 fine and a £20 victim surcharge. (Coventry Telegraph, 2 July 2015) http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-magistrates- court-woman-admits-9564015 A 40-year-old man pleaded guilty to selling tissues on a train in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, without the written permission of the operator. He was fined £100 and ordered to pay a £150 criminal courts charge, £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge. (Bucks Herald, 2 July 2015) http://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/more-news/court-round-up-man-illegally- sold-tissues-on-train-1-6829667 A 28-year-old woman from Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, pleaded guilty to stealing a bottle of wine and two pasta pots from a supermarket. She was discharged conditionally for 18 months and ordered to pay a £150 criminal courts charge and a £15 victim surcharge. (Leicester Mercury, 4 July 2015) http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Cases-Leicester-Magistrates-Court/story- 26832987-detail/story.html A Shields Gazette reader writes: “I am due to appear in Newcastle Crown Court in two weeks for an offence that I did not commit. I had planned on pleading not guilty, however I have been told that if I am found guilty I will have over £1,000 in costs to pay. Is this true?” (Shields Gazette, 7 July 2015) http://www.shieldsgazette.com/opinion/columnists/legal-eagle-should-i-plead- guilty-because-i-can-t-afford-court-costs-1-7346138 An 18-year-old man who admitted to stealing a bottle of lager worth £2.09 from a supermarket in Poole, Dorset. He was ordered to pay compensation of £2.09 and a £150 criminal courts charge. (Bournemouth Daily Echo, 9 July 2015) http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/13377257.In_the_Dock__4_people _who_have_appeared_in_court_from_Poole/ A 29-year-old homeless man was jailed for 14 days for stealing a bottle of wine worth £8 from a store in Chelmsford, Essex. He committed the offence a day after being released from court for the same offence. He was ordered to pay a £150 criminal courts charge and an £80 victim surcharge. (Essex Chronicle, 12 July 2015) http://www.essexchronicle.co.uk/Named-shamed-round-cases-heard-Essex- magistrates/story-26876756-detail/story.html A 34-year-old man from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, who stole two ice creams, to the value of £2.50, from a shop was discharged conditionally for six months and ordered to pay a £150 criminal courts charge, a £15 victim surcharge and £2.50 in compensation. (Worksop Guardian, 13 July 2015) http://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/local/court-results-worksop-and- retford-1-7355807 A 33-year-old homeless man pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching a criminal behaviour order after he was found holding “an open container of alcohol”. Magistrates in Folkestone, Kent, sentenced him to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered him to pay a £185 criminal courts charge, £85 costs and a £100 victim surcharge. (Folkestone Herald, 14 July 2015) http://www.folkestoneherald.co.uk/Justice-seen-Folkestone-criminals/story- 26898442-detail/story.html A 44-year-old man from Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire, who was advised by a solicitor to plead not guilty changed his plea after being told he faced having to pay more than £1,400 if convicted after a trial. He was charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words and behaviour following an altercation between football fans. He changed his plea after being warned he could be ordered to pay more than £600 in court costs and an £800 criminal courts charge.