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Burglar: My crime 'isn't brave'

A serial burglar told by a judge that his crime "takes a huge amount of courage" has told the Daily Mirror he disagrees and that he was sorry for what he has done. Judge Peter Bowers is being investigated by the Office for Judicial Complaints.

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Serial burglar: 'I don't think it is courageous'

A serial burglar told by a judge that his crime was "courageous" has told the Daily Mirror he disagrees and that he was sorry for what he has done.

I feel sorry for what I did because I know what people feel like to get burgled.

I know what my dad felt like when he got burgled. I feel bad for what I did.

I know it won’t make up for what I’ve done but I am sorry.

I don’t think burglary is a courageous thing to do

– Richard Rochford, Serial burglar

Rochford, who is due to start a new job in construction, said he thought Judge Bowers had made the right decision not sending him to prison.

The burglar had been previously jailed for three years for arson.

I do think the judge was right to not put me in prison because last time I went in, I took drugs and if he’d have put me back in there, I would have taken drugs again, I would have gone on to commit more crimes.

There’s no chance I’ll be getting back into drugs.

I start a new job in a week’s time.

– Richard Rochford, Serial burglar

Judge Peter Bowers is to be investigated by the Office for Judicial Complaints.

Burglar's mum: 'I'm ashamed of what he's done'

The mother of serial burglar Richard Rochford has told the Daily Mirror her son's actions are wrong and shameful. She also criticised Judge Peter Bowers for saying her son's actions took 'courage'.

I'm his mother and I'm ashamed. The judge shouldn't have said that because it causes so much trouble. It's not courage, I think it's wrong. It's low to burgle someone.

– Caroline Whitehouse, Mother of burglar

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Victim: Judge has 'no consideration' for the victims

A victim of a burglar praised by a judge as having "courage" for carrying out the crime has spoken to Daybreak of his anger at Judge Peter Bowers's comments.

Mark Clayton, who was burgled by Richard Rochford earlier this year, said:

Courage means valour and bravery. Somebody who's taking drugs and burgling people to feed that habit, that doesn't take courage, that's just opportunism.

– Mark Clayton, burglary victim

Judge Bowers is to be investigated by the Office for Judicial Complaints.

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Cameron: Burglary is cowardice not bravery

Prime Minister David Cameron has told Daybreak that burglary is a "despicable and hateful crime" after a judge said a serial intruder showed "courage" in breaking into a series of homes.

He told Aled Jones and Lorraine Kelly:

I've been burgled twice. You feel completely violated when someone has smashed their way into your house and stolen your possessions and I'm very clear that people who repeatedly burgle should be sent to prison.

When asked whether he felt career criminal Richard Rochford should have been jailed by Judge Peter Bowers for a spate of burglaries, Mr Cameron replied:

I haven't seen the specific case. Judges sometimes say things which you have to read the full context, and the rest of it. But I'm very clear that burglary is not bravery. Burglary is cowardice, burglary is a hateful crime.

People sometimes say it's not a violent crime but actually if you've been burgled you do feel it was violent - someone breaking into your home.

That's why this Government is actually changing the law to toughen the rules on self-defence against burglars, saying that householders do have the right to defend themselves.

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