A boat that was stolen from Cowes earlier this week has been located in Dorset – but despite the thief being caught red handed, he has only been handed a community resolution.
The vessel was reported missing from the Isle of Wight at the start of the week, prompting an investigation by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Marine Support Unit.
Following enquiries with Cowes Harbour Commission it was established that another vessel had been used to tow the stolen boat from the area.
It was on Friday that Dorset Marine Unit, accompanied by Portland Port Police, located and secured the stolen vessel. It’s thought that the marine community helped in locating it.
The thief was detained on scene and interviewed by Police.
However, it has been confirmed that the offender has been issued a community resolution in relation to the theft, instead of being charged and put before the courts.
A spokesperson for Dorset’s Marine Engagement Team has said:
“Dorset police value partnership working and will continue to work closely with its partners and other agencies in order to relentlessly pursue criminality and bring offenders to justice”.
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What an utter waste of time. No wonder some people do whatever they want with impunity.
It is interesting (if that’s the word) how the Police nowadays seem to be satisfied with just catching offenders and not any retribution for the offender. I know sentencing is nothing to do with them, but if I was a bobby and caught someone in the act bang to rights, I would be very grieved to hear he or she had got a derisory sentence. Having said that, it seems here that it was the police who decided to let the miscreant off. Do we know how/why?
“Bring offenders to justice”, liars.
Yet another thief gets off! Looks like the only crime you can get done for these days is being a motorist? 35 in a 30 and you are banged to rights, fined a fortune and punished again by your insurers. Oh, and before some numpty says speed kills, it doesn’t. Not even the Police believe that. Notice how if they see you doing it they don’t stop you? No, they just send you a fine in the post. Pinch a boat, or anything else come to that & they get away with it. The law is hopeless!
Get caught red handed stealing somebodys property and its acceptable, call somebody the “wrong” name or gender and you will be in court. things have gone very wrong..
Hardly “bringing offenders to justice”, is it?
You for real!! That’s a joke!
So assuming then he has towed the stolen boat back?, Or has the owner, at huge expense, got to go and get it themselves ?.
Pathetic is all I can say
No wonder crime is on the up. There’s virtually no punishment thus no deterrent anymore
Just look at how many criminals we’ve got in County Hall, no wonder!
It just sends the message that anyone can do what they like! Because this is all they will get so many times over and over again and they can just laugh at the poor police that are just trying to do their jobs with no hopeful outcome at the end of it!
And WHY, because the prisons in the UK are Full of imported trash, so no more room for our own. SEE it how it is
I see the usual Island Echo legal experts have stuck their oars in (pun intended)
If the police didn’t change this “thief” it was, obviously, not as simple as the mouth breather think.
Possibly disputed ownership, possibly a family issue, but unlikely to be some toerag nicking a boat for kicks or profit.
First time offender, no dispute…just talk the talk pompous toerag
Just say sorry that will do
Again this is a prime example of the law handing down soft useless sentences. This is another insult to the public. What is a community resolution anyway. Give the thieving bastard as much a fine as possible and 6months minimum jail time for starters.
I was unaware that theft was not a crime must remember that
“Dorset police value partnership working and will continue to work closely with its partners and other agencies in order to relentlessly pursue criminality and bring offenders to justice”. That’s just it, the thief has NOT been brought to justice. The police and courts take the general public for fools.
Need some more details. Sometimes more to the story like did the owner owe the thief money. If I had my boat nicked and the police caught them I would be pushing for a conviction and if police said no I would take out a private conviction to force the police to do their job.
Yes is that justice…. No. The elderly owner now has to get across the river with a dead friends borrowed boat, with only one paddle the thief untied his boat and took it together with his engine, was filmed sailing out of Cowes. Towed it to Weymouth.
pathetic whats the point of it all