PM defends ‘tough’ riot sentences

17 August 2011 Last updated at 07:41 ET

More than 2,770 people have been arrested in connection with last week’s riots

Prime Minister David Cameron has defended courts for handing out tough sentences for those involved in the riots across England.

MPs and justice campaigners say some sentences dealt to the 1,277 people who have appeared in court are too harsh.

On Tuesday two men were jailed for four years for using Facebook to incite riots and another was given 18 months for having a stolen TV in his car.

But the PM said it was good that the courts were sending a “tough message”.

Speaking in Warrington, he said: “It’s up to the courts to make decisions about sentencing, but they’ve decided to send a tough message and it’s very good that the courts feel able to do that.”

But the former chair of the Criminal Bar Association, Paul Mendelle QC, told BBC 5 live: “When people get caught up and act out of character, in a similar way, there is a danger that the courts themselves may get caught up in a different kind of collective hysteria – I’m not suggesting violence or anything like that – but in purporting to reflect the public mood actually go over the top and hand out sentences which are too long and too harsh.”

More than 2,770 people have been arrested in connection with last week’s riots.

By Tuesday afternoon, 1,277 suspects had appeared in court and 64% had been remanded in custody. In 2010 the remand rate at magistrates for serious offences was 10%.

On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police announced that it has charged 1,005 people after 1,733 arrests over the rioting that swept through the capital. The force has a target of 3,000 convictions.

The force’s Acting Commissioner Tim Godwin said the investigation was “far from over”.

The courts and tribunals service says legal advisers in court have been advising magistrates to “consider whether their powers of punishment are sufficient in dealing with some cases arising from the recent disorder”. Magistrates are able to refer cases to crown courts which have tougher sentencing powers.

A spokeswoman from the service said magistrates were independent and did not have to take direction from their legal advisors who are themselves independent of government.

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