Community justice starts in city

Only guilty pleas can be heard before magistrates

Two cases have been successfully heard before magistrates at Plymouth's first community justice court.

The court aims to listen to local peoples' concerns and reduce offending by treating the root causes of crime, like drug addiction and graffiti.

It will hear guilty pleas only for crimes committed in the Devon and Stonehouse areas.

The cases heard involved a 21-year-old man who urinated in a street and a man caught in possession of drugs.

Daniel Johns of Victoria Road, St Budeaux, was fined a total of £118 after he pleaded guilty to urinating twice in Union Street after an evening of heavy drinking.

Every session is unpredictable and we never know if the defendants' are going to turn up Hazel Poad

The second case involved Justin Godfroy, 37, of Devonport Road, who pleaded guilty to being in possession of amphetamines.

Hazel Poad, bench chair of Plymouth Magistrates' said he was sent to a drug-rehabilitation centre, the Harbour Centre, to start treatment.

She said if it was heard in a normal magistrates' court, he could have been sent to prison considering his long history of drug abuse.

Break cycle

Two other cases due to be held had to be referred to a normal magistrates' court as one defendant decided not to enter a plea while a warrant was issued for another man's arrest after he turned up to court drunk.

"Every session is unpredictable and we never know if the defendants are going to turn up," said Ms Poad.

"By taking a problem solving approach, by looking at the offending behaviour and attempting to deal with this as part of sentencing, we are more likely to break the cycle of re-offending."

Punishment will focus on unpaid work in the community.