Wolverhampton Crown Court in top 10 for jailing burglars

The number of burglars jailed at Wolverhampton Crown Court is higher than most other courts in the country, new figures have revealed.

Eighty-three per cent of burglars appearing at the city's crown court were given immediate sentences in 2010. The court, which hears cases from the Black Country, has been named 10th in a list of courts that send burglars straight to jail.

The new table shows Newport in South Wales as the most lenient court in the country with just under 58 per cent of burglars being locked up.

Wolverhampton North East MP Emma Reynolds today said: "I think the fact Wolverhampton is named in the top 10 sends out a good message. Hopefully it will serve as a deterrent to any burglars out there or would-be burglars.

"I think the comments made by the judge in Teesside were disgraceful. That sent out a bad message to criminals. I'm happy Wolverhampton's figure is 83 per cent."

Last week burglar Kyle Nicholls, aged 26, from Exeter, was sent to jail at the city's crown court for smashing his way into house in East Park. He didn't escape with any goods after fleeing when an alarm sounded yet he was still jailed for two years and five months.

And in August James Rattew, 29, of Stafford Street, Telford, was sent to prison for three-and-and-half years after he broke into a number of homes across the Black Country, stealing expensive jewellery, electrical items and cash.

The leniency league table, which is based on official Ministry of Justice figures, shows a huge variation in how crown courts deal with convicted burglars.

It comes just days after Judge Peter Bowers, sitting at Teesside Crown Court, sparked outrage by saying a housebreaker had 'courage'.