THE judge who sentenced a Huddersfield teenager to five years for crimes including firearms offences was right to make him look small.
Fortunately gun crime remains a rare occurrence on Huddersfield’s streets but when it happens tough action needs to be taken which the police say has happened in this case.
Youngsters all too readily look up to those with a ‘hardman’ image but 19-year-old Callum Edwards was described as “a boy” in court by Judge Jonathan Durham Hall. And he warned Edwards to ‘grow up’ otherwise he would be spending many years behind bars when he should be in the prime of his life.
Some would think that Edwards got away reasonably lightly, especially as he was at the wheel of a stolen Audi car which was then involved in a high speed pursuit, brought to a dramatic conclusion when he hit a people carrier.
It’s sheer luck that no-one was hurt or even killed in both incidents.
The power of forensic science was shown again by the fact that Edwards was traced by his DNA from a greasy smear left on a rear view mirror.
The judge was out to make a point to others. Get involved with firearms and you’ll end up in prison.
Let’s hope the message has hit home.
