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Nigel Thornton: Crime pays again; Ronaldo and Wimbledon
Selina Rosella is a lucky woman. She's a junkie, with no job and forced to live on state hand-outs. Luck like that, most of us could do without.
Selina Rosella is a lucky woman. She's a junkie, with no job and forced to live on state hand-outs. Luck like that, most of us could do without.But she is lucky, very lucky, that today she is not behind bars. She is another beneficiary of a judicial system that seems more concerned with the criminal than the victim.
Rosella appeared in a story in the ET this week after she was convicted for stealing 3,500 from NatWest's Cathedral Square branch.
She walked free after being given a suspended jail term and told to pay back 250.
Yes, that's right, she stole 3,500 and she has to pay back 250. Oh yes, I almost forget, if she does pay the money back, it will presumably have to come out of her benefits. So it'll be our money, not hers.
During her case, her lawyer laid it on thick. I've no problem with that, that's what they are paid to do.
We heard that Rosella had given in to temptation. It was a "moment of madness''.
Her brief continued: "She didn't go into the bank planning on stealing 3,500."
That's all right then, there but for the grace of God etc.
Oh, did I mention that Rosella has 16 previous "moments of madness'' to her name.
So after this momentary lapse of judgement what happened next?
Well, over the course of the next nine days, Rosella spent the entire 3,500. That's 400 a day.
Now at a rough estimate that is spending you or I could only sustain if we commanded a salary (and that, Ms Rosella, would involve having a job) in the region of 200,000 a year.
So what did she spend it on? A trip to Yarmouth for her mum? Sweets for her neighbour's kids? Or maybe she gave it all to charity? Who knows?
The court was also told she was "making progress'' in her fight to give up her heroin addiction. So at least we can be pretty certain her ill gotten gains weren't spent on drugs then.
If you can't catch 'em, harass 'em
Burglary is a vile crime. The crooks leave behind them a devastating trail of misery so it is truly shocking that Peterborough is in the middle of an epidemic of break-ins.
I love the idea the police have come up which is basically to harass the burglars. Known crooks are to be targeted with letters and, even better, repeated knocks on their doors.
No peace for the wicked, indeed.
From January 1 to May 31 692 homes were raided.
That's a lot of heartache for a lot of people, yet it wasn't until June 22 with the launch of Operation Alert that these shocking figures emerged.
Surely, forewarned is forearmed.
A Real bargain
The TV companies always seem a little desperate when they big up their summer sport schedules. You've seen the promos – "Super Sizzling Summer of Sport etc, but like the rest of us they're really just waiting for the footie to start again.
Oh well, at least there's all the transfer gossip. The biggest story is Ronaldo's departure from the Theatre of Smugness to Real Madrid. Like all true football fans I shall be sorry to see him go – the showpony stepovers, the tantrums – but I'm perplexed as to why the Spaniards are paying 80m for him.
They should have gone down Peterborough Market, I hear there you can pick up a big girl's blouse for less than a fiver.So we're back for another series of the long-running and popular Tv show Britain's Not Got Talent also known as Wimbledon.
Except this year, Scotsman Andy Murray is threatening to wreck British tennis players' proud tradition of getting knocked out at the early stages by assorted yanks, eastern europeans and general passers-by.
I confess I've warmed to the talented Jock, whose alleged anti-English attitude got up many people's noses. I much prefer his spikier approach to old favourite Tiger Tim Henman the Home Counties pussycat.
In any case, if he loses he's Scottish, if he wins, he's British.
Britain's best
So back for another series is the long-running TV show Britain's Not Got Talent also known as Wimbledon.
Except this year, Scotsman Andy Murray is threatening to wreck British tennis players' proud tradition of getting knocked out at the early stages by assorted passers-by.
I confess I've warmed to the talented Jock, whose alleged anti-English attitude got up many people's noses. I much prefer him and his prickly attitude to old favourite Tiger Tim Henman, the Home Counties pussycat.
In any case, if Murray loses he's Scottish, if he wins he's British. We, the English, can't lose.
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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