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Criminal Law (Amendment) (Protection of Property) Bill

May I make some progress? I wish to cite two recent cases that demonstrate how the criminal justice system is failing the victim—the home owner and the property owner. Persistent offenders can be released early and then go on to commit burglaries, which can lead to the death of innocent victims, as these cases show. Marian Bates was innocently going about her business as a jeweller in her shop in Nottingham. The persistent offender in that case was let out on licence. He was meant to be tagged and under the supervision of a security firm, but he released himself from the tag and went on, with tragic consequences, to commit a horrendous burglary during which he murdered Marian Bates. The case of John Monckton was equally tragic. It is a matter of fact that the main perpetrator in that case had been released after serving only seven years of his 12-year sentence for attempted murder. The people of England feel badly let down by the Government not only because the police are not in a position to attend burglaries as quickly as would be liked, especially in rural areas, but because it is perceived that burglaries are on the increase. When burglaries do occur, they are virtually risk-free because there is little chance of a burglar being detected, prosecuted or convicted.