Emotional Impact Of Theft To Hit Sentencing

The emotional distress suffered by victims of theft will now be used to decide what sentence should be handed down.

New guidelines released later will focus on the impact of thefts on victims beyond financial loss, such as emotional distress, loss of confidence and disruption and inconvenience.

Jill Gramann, Sentencing Council member and magistrate, said: "The new guidelines will help judges and magistrates deal with this great variety of offences while ensuring that the harm caused to the victim is central to the sentencing decision.

"Thefts are committed for financial gain but can mean much more than financial loss to the victim and we want to ensure sentences take this into account."

The rules will apply to the full range of theft offences - one of the most common dealt with by courts with more than 91,000 people sentenced last year.

These include shop theft, pickpocketing, handling stolen goods, stealing by employees or care workers, and abstraction of electricity.

Courts will also have specific guidance for common offences such as theft of a motor vehicle or bicycle.

And for the first time, criminals who deface war memorials or steal historic objects will be dealt with more severely.

Mark Harrison, national policing and crime adviser for Historic England, said: "The value of England's heritage can't be judged in pounds and pence.

"When thieves steal metal from heritage assets, such as listed churches, artefacts from the ground or historic stonework from an ancient castle, they are stealing from all of us and damaging something which is often irreplaceable."