Daily Mail

Shopkeeper­s help arrest thief – only for CPS to drop nine charges against him

- By Liz Hull

WHEN their quiet market town was hit by a night-time crime wave, shopkeeper­s decided to take matters into their own hands and set up patrols in a desperate attempt to deter raiders.

So when police finally arrested and charged a prolific thief in connection with 11 break-ins over three nights, many were delighted that justice would finally be done.

But yesterday residents of Denbigh, north Wales, spoke of their disbelief after prosecutor­s announced they were dropping all but two of the charges against Mark Godsall, 43, a crook with a ‘terrible’ criminal record.

Prosecutor­s told a judge that although the offences were similar and took place within the small town centre over a short space of time, there was not enough evidence against Godsall to go to trial.

Last night Mark Young, a councillor who runs a chocolate shop and patrolled the streets in the early hours to deter burglars, said: ‘It’s shocking what is happening to the British justice system. It smacks of cost cutting. A jury should have been allowed to decide, not the CPS accountant­s, if this guy was guilty.

‘The justice system has failed the people of Denbigh. These crimes had an emotional, as well as financial cost to local businesses – now they will be left thinking what is the point?’

Mr Young said he would be writing to his MP and the Crime Commission­er for the area, to complain. He added: ‘Our bobbies must be at their wits’ end. They did their job, went to the effort to catch the person responsibl­e, then this happens.’

Ceri Jones, who runs hairdresse­rs E-clipz lost £1,000 of hair products and £40 cash when she was targeted. Godsall, a father-of-two, denied breaking in to her premises and she was informed that the charges were being dropped after a court hearing on Wednesday.

Yesterday she said: ‘I’m absolutely disappoint­ed, but not surprised. It’s just the way things are these days and little people like me who are trying to make a living have to put up with it.

‘It’s quite obvious to me who’s done it, it’s a coincidenc­e if not – especially as no one has had any problems since.’

Mrs Jones’s hairdresse­rs was targeted on Thursday, October 15. On the same night there was a break- in at Alton Murphy Opticians, less than 100 yards away. There were also attempted burglaries at a children’s hospice charity shop, an empty shop on the high street and a nearby NHS day care centre.

The following night another hairdresse­r’s, Blue, had its front window smashed and the cash float snatched, while cafe Y Pantri was hit as was haberdashe­r’s shop Threads and two other cafes. A day later vandals broke in and destroyed property at St Thomas’s Church and premises on a nearby industrial estate was hit.

At an earlier hearing Godsall, of Denbigh, admitted burglaries at the church and Blue – but he denied nine other charges.

Anna Price, defending, admitted her client had a ‘terrible’ criminal record with ‘numerous’ previous conviction­s. She applied for bail on the basis that he was the primary carer for two young children and that the crimes had been commit- ted because of drink. But Judge Rhys Rowlands refused and remanded Godsall in custody. He is due to be sentenced next week.

A spokesman for the CPS said: ‘To secure a conviction the prosecutio­n must prove its case beyond reasonable doubt, in this case there was insufficie­nt evidence to link Mr Godsall to nine of the 11 burglaries.

‘Without evidence to directly link the defendant to these offences, there was no realistic prospect of conviction, therefore the CPS offered no evidence to the remaining nine counts.’

MOCKERY OF JUSTICE 2

 ??  ?? Drink problem: Mark Godsall is a serial crook
Drink problem: Mark Godsall is a serial crook

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