Serial offender sent to mental health facility in the UK

Serial offender sent to mental health facility in the UK

Luke Clint Cox (31) first appeared in court when he was just 12 years old and has since been stuck in a pattern of re-offending, the Royal Court heard.

In his latest period of offending, Cox broke into a property in St Helier in August last year and caused minor damage but left empty-handed.

After being arrested and released on police bail, he offended again – this time snatching a handbag from a 48-year-old woman on Poonah Road, before running off into Hampshire Gardens.

Four months later Cox broke into the same property he initially burgled but on this occasion there was a teenage boy present.

The boy challenged Cox, who then ran away, accidentally dropping his mobile phone.

Later, while the burglary was being reported, Cox phoned the police from a payphone to say that his phone had been stolen, together with an Xbox and an iPad Mini.

However, Cox was found to be lying and was charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice. He admitted all the offences, as well as a charge of possessing a small amount of cannabis resin.

Crown Advocate Richard Pedley, prosecuting, said that Cox had a dreadful record of offending, was at high risk of further offending and at high risk of causing harm to himself. He asked for a five-year jail term. The advocate added that when Cox had previously been given a chance after offending, his ‘resolve had been short lived’.

Calling for probation, Advocate Lucy Marks, defending, argued that when Cox had previously been jailed he had gone on to reoffend shortly after.

She also said that Cox’s offending had stemmed from abuse when he was a child and that if he was sent back to prison, he would inevitably reoffend. She instead asked the court for a probation order in a secure mental health facility in Yorkshire.

Announcing the court’s sentence of two and a half years in a mental facility, Bailiff Sir William Bailhache, said that snatching a bag from someone on the streets in broad daylight was a rare crime in Jersey.

But he said that given Cox’s background the court was prepared to spare him a jail sentence.

Jurats Collette Crill and Sally Sparrow were sitting.

– Advertisement –
– Advertisement –