A JUDGE has hit out at police “incompetence” after he was forced to sentence a burglar for a second time in three months – despite officers having interviewed the man for all of the offences on the same day.

Officers from both Hampshire and Wiltshire Police interviewed Josh Waters in July following a string of burglary and attempted burglary offences in both counties.

But despite positively identifying Waters as the burglar at that stage, Hampshire Police did not charge Waters until October 31 – after he was sentenced for the Wiltshire offences.

This sparked a reaction from sentencing Judge Peter Henry, who described delays in Hampshire Constabulary’s decision to charge Waters as “thoroughly unsatisfactory”.

It also sparked Judge Henry, who sentenced Waters to 42 months in prison for the previous offences in October, to conclude it would be “unjust” to add further time to the 18-year-old’s current sentence.

Daily Echo:

Judge Henry spoke out at Southampton Crown Court during Waters’ sentencing for burglary and attempted burglaries in Hampshire.

As previously reported in the Daily Echo, the court heard Waters stole the Jaguar XK during a burglary of the property in Bilberry Drive, Marchwood, on June 27.

Earlier that morning, Waters was seen on CCTV attempting to break into four more properties, including two in Bilberry Drive and two in Kestrel Close.

Waters was arrested in Wiltshire in July following burglaries and attempted burglaries in the Salisbury area.

The court heard he was interviewed by both Wiltshire and Hampshire Police on the same day.

He was also identified by officers as being the man seen on CCTV in Kestrel Close and Bilberry Drive.

But the court heard Hampshire Police did not send a postal requestion to Waters until October 31, after he had been sentenced to 42 months in prison for the incidents being investigated by Wiltshire police.

That sparked Judge Henry to hit out at Hampshire Constabulary’s handling of the case, which he described as being down to “just incompetence”.

He said: “Somebody would have thought that they would have worked more expeditiously.

“He (Waters) should have been sentenced for all these matters together.

“It would be wrong to extend the sentence at this stage when it is my view that the delay in presenting these offences is with the police and possibly with others.”

Waters, of HMP Portland, was sentenced to a total of 20 months, which Judge Henry ordered to run concurrently with the previous 42 month sentence.