Am I the only person in the world that thinks that Jay Louis Kitcher (Southampton man avoids being jailed for 19 crimes) has been treated unduly lightly considering the type and number of offences he committed in a 10 month crime spree.

As a 75-year-old, I find it unbelievable that our so called justice system would think a 12 week prison sentence a suitable punishment, let alone a suspended sentence.

I have lost count of the number of times that I have read of criminals committing multiple crimes ( sometimes as many as 50 – 60 ) and receiving what amounts to a slap on the wrist.

These criminals must be laughing their socks off at the menial sentences they receive.

I don’t know the circumstances of this young man and he may have had a tough time growing up, but he will not be deterred in any way of committing further offences.

Although putting people in prison appears not to deter many criminals and does cost the taxpayer huge amounts of money, at least it rids communities of these idiots for a while.

A huge amount of crime is drug related and the time has come to legalise drugs so that they might be controlled, although criminals will turn to other crime rather than work for a living.

I feel very sorry for the police who find themselves arresting the same career criminals time after time only for them to be released back into society to start again.

I am now too old to really do anything about it, but if I had my time again, I would go into politics where crime and punishment would be my platform.

Brian Chambers

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