Derby magistrates, in the guise of District Judge Joanne Alderson, have decided to get tough. 'Who are their targets? Do I hear you ask? Drug dealers? Men of violence? Persistent offenders? - Of course not. No. They have unmasked an even more sinister individual - a frail, 69 year old Christian lady called Miss Josephine Rooney.This epitome of the anti-social offender; this cocker of snooks; this miserable criminal has failed to pay her Council Tax. I am certain that both my readers will be horrified to see a Christian embrace such depths of evil.
As a former JP I would have had no qualms in jailing such a malefactor BUT for one small fact or two.
She told the city's Magistrates' Court she had to take 'drastic action' because the council had failed in its duty to tackle anti-social behaviour and poor housing conditions in Derby's Hartington Street area.
The street has been dubbed 'Crack Alley' and 1,100 used needles were found there in one weekend alone last month. This is only a tiny snapshot of the daily degradation heaped onto the many decent residents of this area.
Check out the photograph. Is she just one more of the literally thousands of deliberate bad debtors who have not been imprisoned in Derby in recent years or is she taking a stand for what is right? - I shall let you decide. This is a lady of previous good character who has always paid her bills on time and feels it is her moral duty to do so.
Has she perhaps been jailed becuse she IS a Christian or was it because she has shown up the Council? Perhaps a combination of the two?
When I was a JP, try as I may, I never managed to jail a single, serial fine defaulter nor an abuser of Council tax, largely because of Blair's EU-based, Human Wrongs Act. What are the differences here?
I shall pray for the welfare of this brave, sickly lady as she languishes in New Hall prison alongside REAL criminals and invite others to do the same.
*Late news. Josephine was released after just one day when a 'mystery benefactor' paid the bill. What are the chances that the government or her council were somehow behind this in order to undermine her valiant stand?
