MP hits out as two burglars avoid jail

Two men, aged 23 and 35 years old, appeared at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday last following a burglary last Tuesday.

The two men pleaded guilty to the offence and received six months’ imprisonment, suspended for three years.

They were Alexandru Mihai (23), of Foxborough, Lucan, Dublin and Marius Dumitru (35), of no fixed abode. Dimitru was also ordered to forfeit a motor vehicle.

DUP MP David Simpson has hit out at the justice system which “permitted criminals to walk free with just a wrap on the knuckles”.

Mr Simpson said, “I immediately spoke with the owner of Decor8 in Lurgan following the very frightening experience.

“The burglary and the associated high speed chase was something you see on a TV programme.

“I am outraged at the extremely lenient sentence they received as a result.”

Of the sentences the two men had received he said: “This is little more than a wrap on the knuckles in my opinion and I believe it is high time that tougher, more robust sentencing for such crimes was issued. I have written to the PPS highlighting my unhappiness with this matter and am awaiting their response in this regard. The sentencing surrounding these types of crimes is not acting as a deterrent to people and therefore is in my opinion serving no purpose.”