So who will they jail? Judge spares rioter who pelted police with rocks

A JUDGE re-ignited the row over soft sentencing yesterday after allowing a rioter who hurled rocks at the police and helped to set a car ablaze to walk free.

Judge Nigel Seed said Nooragha Zadran had seen so much violence in his home country before moving to Britain that he should not be locked up.

The decision comes only days after another judge provoked an outcry by telling a burglar that it took ‘courage’ to break into somebody’s home.

Tory MPs said the latest ruling showed the huge challenge facing new Justice Secretary Chris Grayling to get a grip on the legal system and end the scandal of soft sentencing.

Zadran, 18, was found guilty of violent disorder and arson during the London riots last year. But Judge Seed let him off with a fine after saying he had been used to witnessing – is violence every day and was suffering from ‘extremely vulnerable’ and prone to post-traumatic stress disorder. exploitation as a result of his childhood.

Zadran claims he was only five when He was also said to suffer from severe both of his parents were killed in Afghanistan post-traumatic stress disorder, stress and by a bomb which struck their home, anxiety. He was handed a 12-month sentence, a court heard yesterday. He was left to suspended for two years. fend for his younger brother, but, after The judge said: ‘I take into account the leaving him in a playground, he found he fact that at an early age you were living in had gone missing and was never found.

Zadran then managed to travel to the UK as a young boy, and has been in the care of social services. During the riots last August, he threw rocks at police and lit the rag that was used to set fire to a car in Lewisham, South-East London.

Judge Seed described his case as ‘exceptional’. He said: ‘No other defendant will have appeared in front of the courts in such circumstances, that is why you are not being sentenced to two to three years in prison. Inner London Crown Court heard that Zadran – who works at a

‘Public confidence

in the system’

war-torn Afghanistan. The family home was bombed…leaving you and your siblings orphans. You were left to beg because of your destitution.’

Neil Griffin, defending, had told the court that his client had got involved in ‘half an hour of madness’ and he wished mobile ‘extremely phone vulnerable’ kiosk in Lewisham and prone – to is exploitation He was also as said a result to suffer of his from childhood. severe post-traumatic stress disorder, stress and anxiety. He was handed a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years. The judge said: ‘I take into account the fact that at an early age you were living in A JUDGE re-ignited the row over soft sentencing yesterday after allowing a rioter who hurled rocks at the police and helped to set a car ablaze to walk free.

Judge Nigel Seed said Nooragha Zadran had seen so much violence in his home country before moving to Britain that he should not be locked up.

The decision comes only days after another judge provoked an outcry by telling a burglar that it took ‘courage’ to break into somebody’s home.

Tory MPs said the latest ruling showed the huge challenge facing new Justice Secretary Chris Grayling to get a grip on the legal system and end the scandal of soft sentencing.

Zadran, 18, was found guilty of violent disorder and arson during the London riots last year. But Judge Seed let him off with a fine after saying he had been used to witnessing mobile phone kiosk in Lewisham violence every day and was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Zadran claims he was only five when both of his parents were killed in Afghanistan by a bomb which struck their home, a court heard yesterday. He was left to fend for his younger brother, but, after leaving him in a playground, he found he had gone missing and was never found.

Zadran then managed to travel to the UK as a young boy, and has been in the care of social services. During the riots last August, he threw rocks at police and lit the rag that was used to set fire to a car in Lewisham, South-East London.

Judge Seed described his case as ‘exceptional’. He said: ‘No other defendant will have appeared in front of the courts in such circumstances, that is why you are not being sentenced to two to three years in prison. Inner London Crown Court heard that Zadran – who works at a