A BURGLAR was spared jail after being convicted of his FIFTY-SEVENTH break-in, a Sun on Sunday probe reveals.
The prolific offender had a total of 265 previous convictions.
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He was among career criminals — including robbers, sex offenders and drug abusers — who dodged jail and were let off with non-custodial sentences such as suspended jail terms, community service and fines.
Others shockingly include a pervert in court for the sixth time for sexual assault and a paedo found guilty for the fifth time over child abuse images.
Another case saw a seven-time robber walk free, while an offender on an eighth knife offence side-stepped jail despite 94 total previous offences.
A drug offender caught with illegal substances for the 19th time also escaped custody, as did a crook with an astonishing 407 previous convictions including robbery over 30 years.
The offenders’ crimes were uncovered in a Freedom of Information Act probe.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) did not name the culprits on “data protection grounds”.
Ex-DCS Kevin Moore, former head of Sussex Police CID, said: “We need to recognise that we require more prison space so that those who need to serve custodial sentences actually do so — and that these sentences are of sufficient length.”
The MoJ said a review was under way to specifically consider sentencing for prolific offenders.
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