Thursday 11 October 2007

SHEFFIELD: 'Huge concern' over delinquent yobs

'Huge concern' over delinquent yobs


Lawlessness: Council leader Jan Wilson slams yobs
Lawlessness: Council leader Jan Wilson slams yobs

Council leader Jan Wilson told today of her "huge concern" about the problem of delinquent youths - after three teenage thugs were jailed for serious crimes in just a few days.
Callum Daniels, from Manor, was detained for at least five years after admitting robbery, rape, sexual assault, escape and burglary.

The 15-year-old - whose own mum admits is out of control - gained the nickname 'Houdini', after repeatedly fleeing from custody.

Meanwhile, the city's top judge, Honorary Recorder of Sheffield Judge Alan Goldsack QC condemned the upbringing of Lewis Barlow, 14, and Leon Gray, 15, who kicked partially-sighted dad-of-five Colin Greenwood to death at Middlewood tram stop "for a bit of fun".

Both murderers were detained for a minimum of 12-and-a-half years.

Coun Wilson said: "Young people operating without boundaries is a huge concern. It's difficult to deal with - the council and no other institution can intervene 24 hours-a-day."

She said the key is tackling dysfunctional families - which frequently provide the background of young offenders.

Daniels, Barlow and Gray all had poor school attendance and Gray was expelled. Daniels was one of six children and his mum was a heroin addict.

Barlow was from a family of eight and Judge Goldsack said "neglect, poor supervision, poor school attendance and low level anti social behaviour" were all part of his background. He had started committing petty crimes from a young age.

Barlow told police he murdered Greenwood because he "would otherwise have faced ridicule, and that kicking and stamping on people was not unusual behaviour" on his estate.

He said Barlow and Gray, both of Winn Gardens, were typical of a growing problem - youths who are "out of control, amoral and prepared to use gratuitous and mindless violence on vulnerable people".

Coun Wilson said: "We establish the best mechanisms we can, through schools, police, youth offending team and drug intervention programmes, to get at the root of this problem, which is appallingly bad parenting.

"It is not just the parents of these young people but their parents, too - who were brought up believing there was no such thing as society and no boundaries."

Coun Wilson said intervention with problem families in Sheffield starts as early as birth, where midwives and health visitors help to identify youngsters at risk.

Coun Wilson said there are "pockets of lawlessness" in Sheffield but that the areas are "turning a corner" because residents are willing to give evidence about criminals - which is not the case in some other cities - and there is strong community spirit.

Rapist: Callum Daniels, 15
Rapist: Callum Daniels, 15

Killing: Leon Gray, 15
Killing: Leon Gray, 15

Murder: Lewis Barlow, 14
Murder: Lewis Barlow, 14



http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/-39Huge-concern39-over-delinquent.3366457.jp

1 comment:

jess said...

leon is not as babd s=as the press and judges are making him out to be i was in the same unit as him in newton aycliffe secure unit and he always had respect for the staff that worked on our unit and the other residents that lived on our unt he never said a cross word to any of the staff or other residents on our unithe always used manners he was also very popular with pratically all the other residents on all the other units so the fact tat the judges are calling him a delinquent youth i personally think is out of order and everything that i have read about him on the internet has made me really angry because like i have alredy said he is not like any of that and one important thing that they haveleft out on the internet is that after him and lewis were on remand for two years on a murder charge it got dropped to a manslaughter charge because new evidence came out which showed that three seconds before leon and lewis hit and kicked mr greenwood he was hit by someone else so yeah ok it was there hits and kicks that killed but they were not the only ones that had a part to play in mr greenwoods death they were unfortunately the only ones to get caught for it so if it makes all you lot the public happy to still beleive that they are murderers then thats u[p to because i know the truth and that is that tey are not murderes now i know ypur not going to like what i have write but to be honest with you i dont really give a fucking shit