Vandal escapes 'too costly' legal action

Kyt · Sep 5, 2008

:frusty:

Vandal escapes 'too costly' legal action

A TEENAGE vandal has escaped legal action after causing thousands of pounds' of damage to a war memorial – because the council says it would cost too much to sue him.

Yeovil Town Council said it had reluctantly taken the decision not to try to recover the full cost of the repairs to the historic memorial.

The announcement came after the youth, who was 16 at the time, admitted last month, causing the damage.

He was given a year's community rehabilitation order and ordered to pay £100 compensation.

The incident, on June 22, was captured on CCTV and involved a youth climbing up the war memorial.
Click here!

The incident caused substantial damage to several of the monument's stone pillars. The cost of the repair work was £3,300.

Now, the council has taken legal advice and been told that, given the decision of the youth court, the chances of recovering the full cost of repair work are negligible and the costs of pursuing a civil action could cost local council tax payers more than £1,000.

Yeovil mayor, Wes Read said: "In line with the council's policy on vandalism, every effort has been made to recover the costs involved from the person responsible for the damage, to avoid the costs falling on local council tax payers."

He said: "However, after taking the culprit's financial position and other factors into account, the court decided against awarding the full cost of compensation, and we have been advised that it is highly unlikely that further legal action would alter this decision or secure increased compensation.

"At the end of the day, while it is frustrating, we have to take a pragmatic view of the situation and, in light of this advice, we have reluctantly decided that it would not be in the interests of local council tax payers to pursue a civil action."

Some councillors had hoped that the teenager or his family would offer to pay back the money over a period of time.

The town council has arranged for the memorial to be repaired in time for the forthcoming Remembrance Sunday service and parade in November.

Chairman of Yeovil Royal British Legion, Bill Brown, a former captain in the Gurkhas who served in North Africa and Italy in the Second World War said: "The feeling expressed to me by members and the general public was that most wanted a more active sentence, not that the young man be sent to prison, but that he be given community service of enough hours to stand out in his mind, and for him to be given some education about the damage he had done.

"I don't think pressing for compensation would help if he or his family could not afford it."
Click to expand...

Brian S · Sep 5, 2008

Costs!!!!!!!

Kyt said: ↑

:frusty:

Vandal escapes 'too costly' legal action
Click to expand...

Perhaps they should send the Family on Holiday somewhere warm if they are so concerned for their Welfare.:>

spidge · Sep 5, 2008

Gobsmacked!!!!!!

John · Sep 5, 2008

I almost choked on my cornflakes reading about non action to recover at least the cost of repairs to the memorial

:assassin:

Antipodean Andy · Sep 7, 2008

Where's my cricket bat...

Log in or Sign up

Vandal escapes 'too costly' legal action

Kyt Άρης

Brian S Guest

spidge Active Member

John Active Member

Antipodean Andy New Member

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

Vandal escapes 'too costly' legal action

Thread Tools

Kyt Άρης

Brian S Guest

spidge Active Member

John Active Member

Antipodean Andy New Member

Share This Page

Useful Searches