smudge_lad

Hi guys,

Looking for some advice on a bit of a shitty situation I've found myself in.

Long story short - last summer I had £1200 of guitar equipment stolen from a locked garage at the pub where we used to rehearse.

Found out who it was etc, and the guy's been charged. I found out he'd sold the stuff to a Cash Generator outlet for £150!!! I was raging!

Anyway, about a month ago, I get a letter out of the blue from the court, saying that the guy was being made to pay compensation to me for my "loss and damages" - grand total of £150!!!

How does that compensate me for my loss and damage??? I reported every detail of what had been stolen and it's worth! Also, I only get the money when he see's fit to pay anything - yesterday I got a cheque for £20!!!

Never been kicked in the teeth so hard in my life!!! Does anyone know of anything I can do to appeal/complain about this?

The equipment wasn't covered by insurance, which is another long story!

Cheers for any info that anyone can give me

Keir

stevieturbo

Surely whoever he sold it to must be getting charged with handling stolen goods too ? And if they know where it went, didnt you get the goods back ??

Everyone knows how the justice system works. When you dont give a fuck, crime does pay.

FletchCossie

iTrader: (4)

You should of got the goods back?

I got robbed £100, which 3 years later the bloke is paying £2 per month back through the Courts.

STAFFY OWNER

A few years ago my missus was driving through a traffic light controlled junction where the traffic lights also act as a pedestrian crossing system. Her lights were on green but as she was driving across a pelican crossing a pedestrian stepped of the curb and smashed her wing mirror off on purpose with a can that he was holding. We cleared the crossing and pulled over and got out, fortunately the car that was following was an off duty copper that was just on his in to work and he pulled in behind us and said not to worry as he had witnessed everything, he even knew the twat that had done it from previous crimes he had committed. He gets on his mobile and calls for on duty plod to come and handle the situation and tells us to go to the local nick to make a statement which we did. A few weeks later we hear that the guy has got to go to magistrates court to be tried for the offence but the copper dealing with it says that the most likely outcome is that he will get a piss poor fine which he wont bother to pay and be ordered to pay compensation at a couple of pounds a month because he is out of work which again he might never pay (new mirror cost about £120) or she could drop the charges and he would settle up in full out of court. We decided to go for the second option because the missus just wanted to get her mirror sorted at no expense to herself. Plod told us that when knobhead got his money out to pay he had a big bundle of notes so he obviously wasn't short of money. So at the end of the day he gets off unpunished and we get the hassle of having to sort out the repairs.
Why is it that if you owe child maintenance payments the CSA can have them taken directly from your income but if you break the law, are out of work and are on benefits the courts virtually know that you aint gonna pay whatever is imposed on you, they should take the fine and any compensation payments directly from your benefits or if you are in work it should come directly from your income until the debt is repayed within a reasonable time scale. Idiots might commit less crime if they know they can't just shrug off the penalty imposed on them.

Roscco

Seeing as it was Cash G that your stuff was taken too, if it was sold on i doubt very much you'd see it back, and the courts will take the 2nd hand value (i.e what Casg G paid, even though this isn't a true reflection of value).

Cash G are covered by the handling stolen goods bit unless you can prove they knew it was stolen. Thats why they take mug shots and want 2 forms of I.D.

End of, unless you knew cash G had your gear BEFORE they sold it on, you onto plums i'm afraid.

Roscco

They can, and do. (doesn't seem to happen with court fines though ??)

STAFFY OWNER

Please clarify - you say they can and do but it doesn't happen with court fines, does this mean that they do or they don't. Not intended to be arsey mate but would just appreciate your post clarifying.
If they are able why don't they do it more?