29-year-old Andrew Downard has been jailed for 16 weeks after admitting guilt for his latest offences of burglary and theft, adding to his already extensive criminal record.
Downard, who has been staying at Oyo Hotel in Sandown, was arrested and remanded in custody earlier this week for a burglary and a string of thefts from shops in Sandown throughout the month of October. He was put before the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court on Tuesday, where details of his latest offending were heard.
Ann Smout, prosecuting, explained that on dates between 7th-22nd October, Downard carried out a total of 8 thefts of food and drink from Co-Op stores on High Street and Avenue Road in Sandown. On 18th October, he attempted to steal food and drink from the Co-Op.
It was on 12th October that Downard walked into the Co-Op on the High Street and stole 3 pouches of tobacco worth £53.50. These were taken from the kiosk section of the store – an offence considered burglary as it is a non-public area. The court heard how he waited for it to be unnamed before helping himself.
Downard was last in court back in April when he received a 12-week prison sentence for 4 charges of criminal damage. He was released in May but has been in and out of prison since, with a number of warrants issued for his arrest too.
Defending, Oscar Vincent said that his client had been released from prison in Cardiff on 29th September, expecting his benefits to be paid on 2nd October. However, Mr Vincent said it became clear Downard’s benefits had been stopped so he wouldn’t be paid until 1st November at the earliest.
With no family or friends to support him, and being refused food vouchers for the foodbank, Downard turned to theft – with a motivation to survive.
An offender update from the Probation Service did not paint a positive picture for Downard, who was described as being a risk of high harm to the public. The report said that there had been poor engagement, that he had not been drug tested and that he had not taken steps to address his behaviour.
Magistrates deliberated for a short period before handing down a 16-week prison sentence. Downard was ordered to pay £89.20 compensation.
Only 16 weeks which means 8 weeks for good behaviour
should be home in time for Turkey Dinner.
The law is too lax
He’ll have to steal the turkey first tho !
Too lax or just don’t give a dam.. hes got serious mental health issues not medicated, hes been refused help from the islands mental health team because he’s to confused to know he needs help.
Instead of sectioning him which has been requested they just throw him in prison to release him afew weeks later with no support no money and no medication.
Maybe if he got proper mental health support then he would be able to get his life back on track.
It’s less cost to ignore him than to help him.
The story says With no family or friends to support him, and being refused food vouchers for the foodbank, Downard turned to theft – with a motivation to survive.
How about not stealing in the first place, not going to gaol, not stealing again, not going back to gaol, not stealing yet again, not going back to gaol.. again. Then maybe, just maybe your life would be better.
Under my law one limb would be cut off for each offence.
He’d not be able to steal without any arms..
Under your laws women wouldn’t be allowed out of their house without being accompanied by a man, wouldn’t be able to work and if we spoke our minds we’d all be locked up.
Slop John B votes for a world like 1984
With no family or friends to support him, and being refused food vouchers for the foodbank, Downard turned to theft – with a motivation to survive.
the argument about trying to survive was negated by the statement “he walked into the Co-Op on the High Street and stole 3 pouches of tobacco worth £53.50”
you do not need tobacco to survive.
Wrong, we would like to live in a world, or at least on an island, where there are no thieves. No car crime. No assaults. No vandalism. Etc.
If the deterrent was there to lose a limb, I for one would not go out stealing.
If the only punishment is a suspended sentence or a recall to a cushy gaol cell then why not go and steal £53 of food and ciggies.?
You seem to be confusing 1984 with Saudi Arabia. Easy mistake to make.
From one hotel to another one then !!
And as we all know tobacco is absolutely essential to survive, that’s why it has health warnings on the side – d***heads
Perhaps he was eating it !!
And he was ordered to pay £89.20 haha
I thought the reason he was there in the first place was because he was stealing due to having no money. Are they really expecting to get it – what a joke
What is the point of this individual being allowed to be free? He’s done nothing to help himself, rejects offers to engage, doesn’t have any real understanding of what he’s doing wrong or how it affects the rest of us and is of a ‘If I want it, I’ll take it’ mindset. The reason he’s like that is because he never been punished properly. I wouldn’t send him to prison, I’d send him on a one way to China, North Korea or Iran. If he wants to steal, let him try his luck where consequences are painful for criminals. Absolute waste of oxygen.