Crime on the rise in Sussex courts (From The Argus)

Crime on the rise in Sussex courts

2:50pm Thursday 27th October 2011 in News

Courts are supposed to be where criminals get their comeuppance but they are increasingly becoming scenes of crime.

So far this year six assaults, four incidents of actual bodily harm and even the theft of a pair of spectacles from a court employee have occurred in Sussex courts.

A cleaner was the victim of a theft in Worthing Magistrates’ Court in March, while in February a security guard at Crawley Magistrates’ Court was the victim of an ABH attack.

Other ABH attacks were carried out on visitors to Brighton Magistrates’ Court in February and twice at Hastings Magistrates’ Court in June.

In the first nine months of the year there have been 34 crimes recorded at Sussex court buildings compared with 20 in the whole of 2009.

The most crimes over the last three years were at Brighton courts with more than 30 recorded and a further 20 crimes recorded at Worthing Magistrates’ Court.

Hove MP Mike Weatherley said: “When a new crime is actually committed in court, I really do wonder if there is any hope.”

Read more on this story in today's Argus