Monday 15th November 2010

Nine teenagers who smashed a woman's front window using potatoes and bars of soap have been made to pay £1,000 and write letters of apology to the victim.

The boys, aged between 15 and 16 years old, threw the items through the window of the house on Firvale Road, Walton, on Halloween at 6pm.

The group ran away after the window cracked, but Safer Neighbourhoods officer PC Akeel Hussain (pictured below) was nearby and caught the boys red-handed.



They all admitted the offence, and after PC Hussain discussed it with the victim, it was decided they would be dealt with via Restorative Justice.

This means that a crime was dealt with in a way that achieved a positive outcome in accordance with the victims' wishes. The crime is recorded as usual but dealt with in a more proportionate way.

The boys must each pay £111.80 to the victim towards the cost of a new window and write her a letter of apology.

They will also all be made to sign Acceptable Behaviour Contracts which detail certain behaviours they must not take part in otherwise they could be further punished.

PC Hussain, of the Holmebrook and Rother Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: "Hopefully these young lads will realise the seriousness of what they have done and the possible consequences there could have been.

"Someone could have been badly hurt if the window had fallen in and they could all have ended up with criminal records.

"This must have been a very frightening experience for the victim and we take reports of anti-social behaviour very seriously, especially around Halloween which can be a distressing time.

"Safer Neighbourhood teams are working in every neighbourhood to stamp out this type of intimidating nuisance behaviour."

Restorative Justice was introduced by Derbyshire Constabulary in April 2009 and has led to thousands of cases across the county resolved without going through the criminal justice system.

This scheme encourages police officers and PCSOs to use 'professional judgement', based on their discretion, policing experience and skills, to resolve the incident, providing extra time to prevent and tackle those crimes that matter most to the community.

The 47-year-old victim, who does not want to be named, said: "I am lucky PC Hussain was on duty and nearby when it happened. He is an outstanding example of what a police officer should be; professional, courteous and empathetic.

"He went far beyond the call of duty to resolve this incident and I would like to thank him for that."

For more information about Restorative Justice visit: www.restorativejustice.org.uk

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