Data Loading...
Analytical Services Group Flipbook PDF
Analytical Services Group Court Prosecutions, Convictions and Out of Court Disposals Statistics for Northern Ireland, 20
123 Views
71 Downloads
FLIP PDF 697.14KB
Analytical Services Group
Court Prosecutions, Convictions and Out of Court Disposals Statistics for Northern Ireland, 2013 Research and Statistical Bulletin 14/2014 I Graham and I Damkat November 2014
Produced by Analytical Services Group, Department of Justice. For further information write to: Analytical Services Group, Laganside House, Oxford Street, Belfast BT1 3LA Telephone: 028 9072 4530
Email: [email protected] This bulletin is available on the Internet at: www.dojni.gov.uk
KEY FINDINGS PROSECUTIONS AND CONVICTIONS The number of prosecutions disposed at Crown Court rose 19.6% from 2,135 in 2012 to 2,553 in 2013, continuing an upward trend from 2010. The number of prosecutions at magistrates’ courts fell from 35,579 in 2012 to 32,086 in 2013, a fall of 9.8%.
In 2013, 83.2% (28,831) of prosecutions in all courts resulted in a conviction. This compares with 2012 when 83.4% (31,466) of prosecutions in all courts resulted in a conviction.
The majority, 83.5% (28,925), of prosecutions completed at all courts in 2013, were cases where the defendant was male. In Crown Court, 89.7% (2,289) of prosecutions were against males. In Magistrates’ courts, 83.0% (26,636) were against males.
Persons in the 18 – 24 year old age band were most likely to have prosecutions against them in court in 2013. They made up 29.0% (10,032) of all prosecutions at courts in Northern Ireland and 29.2% (8,405) of those convicted at all courts in 2013.
Most prosecutions completed in all courts over the period were for motoring offences: 13,606 (39.3% of all prosecutions) in 2013. Of all offence categories, motoring offences had the highest conviction rate at all courts, at 92.4% (12,566).
OUT OF COURT DISPOSALS A total of 3,394 penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) were issued in 2013; 80.8% of which were to males. Most PNDs were issued for public order offences, with 39.9% (1,353) of all PNDs issued being for offences in that category.
The number of out of court, diversionary disposals recorded against individuals’ criminal records in 2013 was 7,752, a fall of 15.2% from 9,143 in 2012. Most diversionary disposals were dealt with by way of caution, with 80.8% (6,265) of all diversionary disposals dealt with in this way.
Of all those who received a diversionary disposal in 2013, most were in the younger age categories, with 57.9% (4,491) of all diversionary disposals handed out to the under 25 year old age group.
In 2013, 76.1% (5,901) of all diversionary disposals were handed down to males.
Of all diversionary disposals, 17.6% (1,362) were handed down for violence against the person offences and a further 17.6% (1,362) were for drug offences.
CONTENTS Introduction: Counting Rules: Main findings: Appendix 1 – Tables:
Page 1 Page 1 Page 3 Page 12
FIGURES Figure 1: Figure 2: Figure 3: Figure 4: Figure 5: Figure 6: Figure 7: Figure 8: Figure 9:
Prosecutions and convictions at all courts, 2010 - 2013 Prosecutions and convictions at courts by court type and gender of defendant, 2013 Number of prosecutions at court by age group of defendant and court type, 2013 Proportion of convictions at court by court type and age of defendant, 2013 Cases disposed by offence category in all courts, 2013 Percentage convictions in Crown Court by offence category, 2013 Percentage convictions in magistrates’ courts by offence category, 2013 Percentage convictions at court by disposal type and court type, 2013 Out of court disposals by type, 2010 - 2013
INDEX OF TABLES Table 1: Table 2: Table 3a: Table 3b: Table 3c: Table 4: Table 5a: Table 5b: Table 6a: Table 6b: Table 6c: Table 7: Table 8a Table 8b Table 8c
Prosecutions and convictions in courts in Northern Ireland by court type, 2010 - 2013 Prosecutions and convictions in courts by gender of defendant, 2013 Prosecutions and convictions at Crown Court by age band of defendant, 2013 Prosecutions and convictions at magistrates’ courts by age band of defendant, 2013 Prosecutions and convictions at all courts by age band of defendant, 2013 Prosecutions and convictions at courts by offence classification and court type, 2013 Number and percentage of convictions by sentencing disposal and court type, 2013 Number and percentage of custodial sentences by sentencing disposal and court type, 2013 Disposals at Crown Court by offence classification, 2013 Disposals at magistrates’ courts by offence classification, 2013 Disposals in all courts by offence classification, 2013 Out of court disposals by type, 2010 – 2013 Penalty Notices for Disorder issued by gender of recipient, 2013 Penalty Notices for Disorder issued by age band of recipient, 2013 Penalty Notices for Disorder issued by offence classification, 2013
Table 9a: Table 9b: Table 9c:
Diversionary disposals by gender of offender, 2013 Diversionary disposals by age band of offender, 2010 – 2013 Diversionary disposals by type and offence classification, 2013
INTRODUCTION This bulletin presents data on the number of prosecutions and convictions for magistrates’ courts and the Crown Court in Northern Ireland for the year 2013. Data for the youth court, a special magistrates’ court which deals with proceedings against juveniles between the ages of 10 and 17, are included with those for magistrates’ courts. Data on those offenders who were dealt with outside the courts, by way of diversionary disposal, i.e., those who receive a caution, informed warning, a youth conference plan or are subject to the community based restorative justice scheme, or by issue of a penalty notice for disorder (PND) during this time period are also included. Some detail on the structure of the known offending population in 2013, with information on the breakdown of offences committed and the disposals received is also included.
COUNTING RULES What counts as a prosecution/conviction/diversionary disposal? The data included in the bulletin are based on those for whom court proceedings were completed, or who had an out of court disposal recorded in Northern Ireland during the year 2013. The bulletin counts criminal proceedings brought to court by the Public Prosecution Service on behalf of the PSNI or Harbour Police in Northern Ireland and breaches of community sentences brought by the Probation Board for Northern Ireland. The numbers of prosecutions completed are split into those where a conviction followed and those which did not result in a guilty finding. Prosecutions brought by government departments, other public bodies and private individuals are not included. For the purposes of this bulletin, out of court disposals are broken into two categories, distinguishing those which result in a criminal record (diversionary disposals) from those which do not (Penalty Notices for Disorder). Diversionary disposals are those instances where an offender is subject to a caution, informed warning, a youth conference plan, or is subject to the community based restorative justice scheme. The purposes of a diversionary disposal are: (i) to offer a proportionate response to low level offending where the offender has admitted the offence, (ii) to deliver swift, simple and effective justice that carries a deterrent effect; (iii) to record an individual’s criminal conduct for possible reference in future criminal proceedings or in criminal record or other similar checks; (iv) to reduce the likelihood of reoffending; and, (v) to increase the amount of time the police have to spend dealing with more serious crime by decreasing the amount of time police officers spend completing paperwork and attending court, while simultaneously reducing the burden on courts. Penalty Notices for disorder (PNDs) are a fixed penalty designed to tackle low-level, antisocial and nuisance offending for offenders aged 18 and over and are issued for a range of minor offences. They were introduced in Northern Ireland on the 6th June 2012 as a result of the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. PND’s provide police with a swift financial punishment to deal with misbehaviour and a practical deterrent to future re-offending. Further information on PNDs can be accessed at http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/police-issuedpenalty-notices . 1
What counts as an offence? Where an offender has had an out of court disposal imposed or been convicted of several offences on the same occasion, only one offence, the principal offence, is counted. The basis for selection of the principal offence is laid down in rules issued by the Home Office and the Department of Justice has developed a methodology applicable to Northern Ireland based on these. In summary, where there is a disposal, the offence which receives the most severe penalty is counted. Other factors which may be considered in selection of the principal offence are the potential sentence that may be imposed in relation to an offence and the perceived seriousness of an offence. Principal offence methodology may be viewed on the DOJ website.at the following web link: http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/statistics-research.htm. For cases brought before a court, the offence counted and used in the compilation of figures in this bulletin is the one on which the court took its final decision. For diversionary disposals, the offence counted is the one recorded at the time the diversionary disposal was issued and, where applicable, subsequently recorded as completed with the Public Prosecution Service (PPS). In relation to convictions, the principal offence counted is not necessarily the same offence as that for which the defendant was initially proceeded against. The decision recorded is that reached by the court and takes no account of any subsequent appeal to a higher court. Data source The data used in this bulletin were taken from the Causeway Data Sharing Mechanism (DSM1). They were extracted primarily based on records contained on the Criminal Records Viewer (CRV). The CRV is held on Causeway and utilises data which originated in the PSNI, PPS and from Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service. Causeway is an interconnected information system, launched as a joint undertaking by the Criminal Justice Organisations (CJOs) in Northern Ireland. Data quality and validation Although various validation exercises have been conducted in relation to both prosecutions data and diversions data, to ensure data quality, the statistics contained in this publication nevertheless still originate from various administrative data sources and caution should therefore be exercised when making comparisons with previous years. These data sources have different aims and objectives and are kept for non-statistical purposes.
2
MAIN FINDINGS The findings detailed in this report are split into two main sections: the first deals with prosecutions and convictions at courts in Northern Ireland in 2013 and the second deals with out of court disposals issued over the same period. All commentary relates to tables listed in Appendix 1 to this document. Prosecutions and Convictions Overview The number of prosecutions disposed at all courts was 34,639 in 2013, down 8.2% from 37,714 in 2012. While in magistrates’ courts the number of prosecutions was 32,086 in 2013, a fall of 9.8% from 35,579 in 2012, the number of prosecutions in Crown Court in 2013 was 2,553, an increase of 19.6% from the total of 2,135 in 2012. In 2013, 83.2% (28,831) of prosecutions in all courts resulted in a conviction, a conviction rate down slightly from the rate of 83.4% for 2012, but higher than that for 2010 (81.0%) and for 2011 (82.2%).
At 81.5% (2,080), the conviction rate for cases disposed at Crown Court was slightly lower in 2013 than it had been for 2012, when the rate was 84.1%, though on a par with the rate for 2011 which was 81.2%. In magistrates’ courts, 83.4% (26,751) cases disposed in 2013 resulted in a conviction. This mirrored the rate for 2012 (83.4%) and was slightly higher than that for 2011 (82.3%) (Table1). Gender Males constituted the majority of people prosecuted in all courts in 2013. Of all those prosecuted, 83.5% (28,925) were male. In the Crown Court, the proportion of prosecutions brought where the defendant was male was slightly higher at 89.7% (2,289), whereas, in 3
magistrates’ courts, the proportion of prosecutions brought where the defendant was male was 83.0% (26,636). Prosecutions brought at all courts resulted in a conviction rate of 83.2% for both males and females in 2013. Similarly, in magistrates’ courts, the conviction rate for both males and females in 2013 was 83.4%. However, when the gender of the defendant was taken into account in relation to convictions in Crown Court in 2013, the conviction rate for males was 81.7%, compared to a rate of 79.7% for females.
In addition, a small number of prosecutions were classified as against ‘others’. This included transgender individuals, companies and other public bodies and those for whom no gender was recorded (Table 2). Age Group The age group of defendants for which the highest percentage of prosecutions were brought at all courts in 2013 was the 18 – 24 year old age group. In 2013, 29.0% (10,032) of prosecutions were against this age group. Proportionately, defendants in the 18 – 24 year old age group also had the most prosecutions brought against them in the Crown Court, 26.6% (678) and in magistrates’ courts, 29.2% (9,354) in 2013. The age group of defendants for which the highest percentage of convictions were handed down at all courts in 2013 was similarly the 18 – 24 year old age group. In 2013, 29.2% (8,405) of convictions were handed down to defendants in this age group. Proportionately, defendants in the 18 – 24 year old age group accounted for 27.3% (568) of convictions in the Crown Court and 29.3% (7,837) of convictions in magistrates’ courts in 2013.
4
Proportionally, a smaller percentage of prosecutions in Crown Court, 1.1% (27), were against defendants in the 10 – 17 age group in 2013, compared with those in magistrates’ courts, 4.7% (1,522). In 2013, the proportion of all convictions handed down in Crown Court to those in the 10 – 17 year old age group was 0.7% (15), whereas in magistrates’ courts 4.5% (1,204) all convictions were handed down to defendants in the 10 – 17 year old age group. The age group with the highest likelihood of conviction in relation to the number of prosecutions brought against a defendant in that group was the 25 – 29 year old group, with 84.0% (453) of prosecutions against a defendant in this age group resulting in a conviction at Crown Court and 84.9% (4,846) in magistrates’ courts (Tables 3a, 3b and 3c).
Offence Classification Overall, in all courts, the largest proportion of cases disposed fell into the motoring offences category in 2013, comprising 39.3% (13,606) of all cases disposed at court in that year. Violence against the person (VAP) offences accounted for 16.6% (5,739) of cases disposed
5
at all courts in 2013, while cases where the principal offence fell into the public order category made up 11.5% (3,993) of all cases disposed at court in 2013.
In all courts in 2013, prosecutions brought for motoring offences were most likely to end in conviction, with 92.4% (12,566) of cases in this category resulting in a conviction. Similarly, for prosecutions where the principal offence was in the drugs offences category, 91.9% (1,873) resulted in a conviction. Prosecutions where the principal offence was in the sexual offences category were least likely to result in a conviction in all courts in 2013, with 52.4% (198) of such cases resulting in a conviction. In the Crown Court, the largest proportion of cases disposed fell into the VAP offences category, comprising 25.1% (640) of all cases disposed in 2013, while cases where the principal offence fell into the drugs category made up 13.4% (342) of all cases disposed at court in that year. Possession of weapons offences were the offence category least likely to be disposed in Crown Court in 2013, with only 1.6% (42) of cases disposed at Crown Court in that year falling into that category. Similarly, relatively few cases in the motoring and fraud offences categories were disposed at Crown Court in 2013, with such cases making up 2.8% (71) and 3.2% (82) of the total cases disposed respectively. In the Crown Court in 2013, proportionately, prosecutions brought for motoring offences were most likely to end in conviction, with 94.4% (67) of prosecutions brought for offences in this category resulting in a conviction. For cases which fell into the drugs offences category, 89.8% (307) resulted in a conviction and, for cases which fell into the criminal damage category, 88.4% (76) of cases disposed at Crown court in 2013 resulted in a conviction. However, as was the case for all courts, cases which fell into the sexual offences category were least likely to result in a conviction in 2013, when 54.3% (126) of such cases disposed at Crown Court resulted in a conviction.
6
Overall, in magistrates’ courts, the largest proportion of prosecutions fell into the motoring offences category in 2013, comprising 42.2% (13,535) of all cases disposed at magistrates’ courts in that year. In magistrates’ courts in 2013, proportionately, prosecutions brought for drugs offences were most likely to end in conviction, with 92.4% (1,566) of prosecutions brought for offences in this category resulting in a conviction. Similarly, 92.3% (12,499) of prosecutions for offences in the motoring offences category resulted in a conviction in magistrates’ courts in that year. Prosecutions for offences in the sexual offences category resulted in a conviction in 49.3% (72) of cases disposed in magistrates’ courts in 2013 (Table 4).
7
Court Disposals Monetary penalties were the most frequently utilised disposal at all courts in 2013, with 54.5% (15,725) of all convictions having this type of disposal as their primary outcome. A custodial outcome was imposed in 13.1% (3,769) of cases at all courts in 2013 with a suspended custodial outcome imposed in a further 15.3% (4,408) of cases. A community sentence was the primary disposal in 12.0% (3,459) of convictions in all courts in 2013. The type of penalty imposed as a result of conviction varied according to court type in 2013. In Crown Court, 51.4% (1,070) of disposals had a custodial element, whereas in magistrates’ courts 10.1% (2,699) of outcomes had a custodial element. Similarly, in Crown Court, 30.4% (633) of disposals had a suspended custodial element, whereas, in magistrates’ courts, 14.1% (3,775) of outcomes had a suspended custodial element. Conversely, in Crown Court, 3.7% (76) of disposals resulted in a monetary penalty as the primary outcome, whereas in magistrates’ courts 58.5% (15,649) of disposals resulted in a monetary penalty as the main disposal (Table 5).
The Criminal Justice (NI) Order 2008 allowed for the introduction of three new sentence types within Northern Ireland: two public protection sentences – ‘indeterminate’ and ‘extended’ custodial sentences; and, a further sentence, ‘determinate’ custodial sentence. The number of convictions where a public protection sentence was handed down in 2013 was 70, 1.9% of all custodial sentences. The number of sentences which combined custody and community supervision elements excluding those released on licence conditions was 895 23.7% of all custodial sentences handed down at all courts in 2013. Other custodial sentences were handed down in 74.4% (2,804) of cases at all courts in 2013 (Table 5b). In all courts, the offence category most likely to result in a custodial outcome was robbery, with 79.8% (138) of disposals for offences in this category resulting in this type of outcome in 2013. Conversely, a custodial outcome was least likely for offences in the motoring offences category, with only 1.7% (209) of convictions in all courts for offences in this 8
category resulting in imprisonment. Motoring offences were most likely to be dealt with by way of monetary penalty, with 89.7% (11,276) of convictions at all courts for offences in this category, receiving this outcome as their main disposal. Fraud offences were most likely to attract a suspended custodial sentence at all courts, with 39.9% (111) of convictions for offences in this category receiving such an outcome. A community sentence was the most likely disposal for convictions in the criminal damage offence category, with 29.9% (466) of convictions in this category resulting in such an outcome as their main disposal. In Crown Court, the offence category most likely to result in a custodial outcome was robbery, with 84.3% (134) of disposals for offences in this category resulting in a custodial outcome in 2013. Similarly, custodial sentences were handed down for 75.6% (130) of convictions where the principal offence was in the burglary category and for 74.6% (94) of convictions where the principal offence was in the sexual offences category. Defendants convicted of fraud offences at Crown Court were more likely to be dealt with by way of suspended sentence, with 47.9% (34) of convictions for offences in this category receiving this outcome as their main disposal in 2013. In magistrates’ courts, the offence category most likely to result in a custodial outcome was burglary, with 37.7% (132) of disposals for offences in this category resulting in a custodial outcome in 2013. Convictions for fraud offences were most likely to result in a suspended custodial sentence at magistrates’ courts, with 37.2% (77) of convictions where the principal offence was in that category being dealt with in that way. Motoring offences were most likely to be dealt with by way of monetary penalty as the main type of disposal, with 90.1% (11,267) of convictions at magistrates’ courts for offences in this category, receiving this outcome (Tables 6a, 6b and 6c).
Out of Court Disposals Non-court disposals allow the police to deal quickly and proportionately with low-level - often first-time - offending which could more appropriately be resolved without a prosecution at court. In Northern Ireland, a range of options exist, such as cautionary disposals, informed warnings, completion of PPS ordered Youth Conferencing Plans and resolution through the Community Based Restorative Justice scheme. Additionally, PNDs were introduced in Northern Ireland on 6th June 2012 as a result of the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. PNDs are a fixed penalty designed to tackle low-level, anti-social and nuisance offending for offenders aged 18 and over and are issued for a range of minor offences. Unlike other out of court disposals, acceptance of a PND does not result in a criminal record. Cautions were the most common form of out of court disposal, making up 56.2% (6,265) of all out of court disposals in 2013. In their first full year of operation, PNDs made up 30.5% (3,394) of all out of court disposals. Informed warnings made up 6.9% (765) of disposals issued and youth conference plans made up the remaining 6.5% (722) out of court disposals in 2013. There were no relevant community based restorative justice scheme out of court disposals recorded in 2013 (Table 7).
9
Figure 9: Out of court disposals by type, 2010 - 2013
Diversionary disposals
12,000 Penalty Notices for Disorder
10,000 8,000
Informed warning
6,000 Community Based Restorative Justice scheme
4,000
PPS Ordered Youth Conference Plan
2,000 2010
2011
2012
2013
Caution
Year
Penalty Notices for Disorder Disposals In 2013, 3,394 PNDs were issued (1,136 had been issued in the almost 7 months in 2012 since their introduction). Of these, 80.8% (2,743) were issued to males. Of all those who received a PND, 18 – 24 year olds made up 48.4% (1,641). PNDs were issued mainly for public order offences, (39.9%, 1,353), and for miscellaneous crimes, (37.6%, 1,277), although a significant proportion, (20.3%, 689), were also issued for theft offences in 2013 (Tables 8a, 8b and 8c). Other out of court (Diversionary) Disposals In 2013, the number of diversionary disposals issued which were recorded against individuals’ criminal records was 7,752, a fall of 15.2% from the figure of 9,143 such disposals issued in 2012. This fall from the totals in 2011 and 2012 may, in part, have been influenced by the fact that 2013 was the first full year when PNDs were available as an option for dealing with low-level offending. Cautions were the most common form of diversionary disposal, making up 80.8% (6,265) of all diversionary disposals in 2013. Informed warnings made up 9.9% (765) of disposals issued and youth conference plans made up the remaining 9.3% (722) of diversionary disposals in 2013. Most diversionary disposals were issued to males in 2013, when 76.1% (5,901) of all diversionary disposals were issued to males. This is the same proportion as in 2012, when 76.1% (6,957) of all diversionary disposals were issued to males. Of all diversionary disposals issued in 2013, most were handed out to offenders under the age of 25, with 57.9% (4,491) of all diversionary disposals being received by persons in that age group. This is similar to the rate for 2012, when 57.5% of all diversionary disposals were issued to those under 25.
10
Of all offence categories, VAP and drugs offences were the categories for which most diversionary disposals were issued in 2013, when 17.6% (1,362) of all diversionary disposals were issued for offences in each of those categories. Motoring offences were the cause of 15.7% (1,215) of all diversionary disposals in 2013, whereas public order offences accounted for 12.6% (974) and theft offences accounted for 12.4% (960) of all diversionary disposals respectively (Tables 9a, 9b and 9c).
11
APPENDIX 1 - Tables Table 1: Prosecutions and convictions in courts in Northern Ireland by court type, 2010 - 2013 2010
2011
2012
2013
1,284 312 1,596 80.5%
1,494 345 1,839 81.2%
1,796 339 2,135 84.1%
2,080 473 2,553 81.5%
Conviction No conviction Total findings % convictions All courts
30,785 7,231 38,016 81.0%
31,752 6,839 38,591 82.3%
29,670 5,909 35,579 83.4%
26,751 5,335 32,086 83.4%
Conviction No conviction Total findings % convictions
32,069 7,543 39,612 81.0%
33,246 7,184 40,430 82.2%
31,466 6,248 37,714 83.4%
28,831 5,808 34,639 83.2%
Crown court Conviction No conviction Total findings % convictions Magistrates' courts
Table 2: Prosecutions and convictions in courts in Northern Ireland by gender of defendant, 2013 Male Female Other1 Number % of total Number % of total Number % of total
Total
Crown court Conviction No conviction Total findings % convictions
1,869 420 2,289 81.7%
89.9% 88.8% 89.7%
208 53 261 79.7%
10.0% 11.2% 10.2%
3 3 100.0%
0.1% 0.0% 0.1%
2,080 473 2,553 81.5%
22,208 4,428 26,636 83.4%
83.0% 83.0% 83.0%
4,536 905 5,441 83.4%
17.0% 17.0% 17.0%
7 2 9 77.8%
0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
26,751 5,335 32,086 83.4%
16.5% 16.5% 16.5%
10 2 12 83.3%
0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
28,831 5,808 34,639 83.2%
Magistrates' courts Conviction No conviction Total findings % convictions All courts Conviction 24,077 83.5% 4,744 No conviction 4,848 83.5% 958 Total findings 28,925 83.5% 5,702 % convictions 83.2% 83.2% Note: 1. Includes sex not stated, transgender and other offenders,
12
i.e. companies, public bodies, etc.
Table 3a: Prosecutions and convictions at Crown Court by age band of defendant, 2013
Age group 10 - 17 18 - 24 25 - 29 30 - 39 40 - 49 50 - 59 60 & over Not known Total
Conviction Number % 15 0.7% 568 27.3% 453 21.8% 516 24.8% 320 15.4% 132 6.3% 70 3.4% 6 0.3% 2,080 100.0%
No conviction Number % 12 2.5% 110 23.3% 86 18.2% 109 23.0% 67 14.2% 50 10.6% 36 7.6% 3 0.6% 473 100.0%
Total findings Number % 27 1.1% 678 26.6% 539 21.1% 625 24.5% 387 15.2% 182 7.1% 106 4.2% 9 0.4% 2,553 100.0%
Table 3b: Prosecutions and convictions at magistrates' courts by age band of defendant, 2013
Age group 10 - 17 18 - 24 25 - 29 30 - 39 40 - 49 50 - 59 60 & over Not known Total
Conviction Number % 1,204 4.5% 7,837 29.3% 4,846 18.1% 5,869 21.9% 4,134 15.5% 2,075 7.8% 724 2.7% 62 0.2% 26,751 100.0%
No conviction Number % 318 6.0% 1,517 28.4% 863 16.2% 1,162 21.8% 878 16.5% 395 7.4% 174 3.3% 28 0.5% 5,335 100.0%
Total findings Number % 1,522 4.7% 9,354 29.2% 5,709 17.8% 7,031 21.9% 5,012 15.6% 2,470 7.7% 898 2.8% 90 0.3% 32,086 100.0%
Table 3c: Prosecutions and convictions at all courts by age band of defendant, 2013
Age group 10 - 17 18 - 24 25 - 29 30 - 39 40 - 49 50 - 59 60 & over Not known Total
Conviction Number % 1,219 4.2% 8,405 29.2% 5,299 18.4% 6,385 22.1% 4,454 15.4% 2,207 7.7% 794 2.8% 68 0.2% 28,831 100.0%
No conviction Number % 330 5.7% 1,627 28.0% 949 16.3% 1,271 21.9% 945 16.3% 445 7.7% 210 3.6% 31 0.5% 5,808 100.0%
13
Total findings Number % 1,549 4.5% 10,032 29.0% 6,248 18.0% 7,656 22.1% 5,399 15.6% 2,652 7.7% 1,004 2.9% 99 0.3% 34,639 100.0%
Table 4: Prosecutions and convictions at courts by offence classification and court type, 2013
Offence classification Violence Against the Person Sexual
Crown Court No % Conviction conviction conviction
Court Type Magistrates' courts No % Conviction conviction conviction
Conviction
All courts No conviction
% conviction
503
137
78.6%
3,367
1,732
66.0%
3,870
1,869
67.4%
126
106
54.3%
72
74
49.3%
198
180
52.4%
Robbery
159
26
85.9%
14
26
35.0%
173
52
76.9%
Theft
128
18
87.7%
2,348
374
86.3%
2,476
392
86.3%
Burglary
172
32
84.3%
350
143
71.0%
522
175
74.9%
76
10
88.4%
1,481
571
72.2%
1,557
581
72.8%
307
35
89.8%
1,566
129
92.4%
1,873
164
91.9%
35
7
83.3%
305
102
74.9%
340
109
75.7%
182
34
84.3%
3,095
682
81.9%
3,277
716
82.1%
Motoring
67
4
94.4%
12,499
1,036
92.3%
12,566
1,040
92.4%
Fraud
71
11
86.6%
207
31
87.0%
278
42
86.9%
254
53
82.7%
1,447
435
76.9%
1,701
488
77.7%
2,080
473
81.5%
26,751
5,335
83.4%
28,831
5,808
83.2%
Criminal Damage Drugs Possession of Weapons Public Order
Miscellaneous crimes against society Total
1
Table 5a: Number and percentage of convictions by sentencing disposal and court type, 2013 Disposal type
Gender
Crown Court Number
Custodial
Suspended Custodial
Attendance Centre
Combination Order
Probation Order/Supervision Order
Community Service Order
Youth Conference Order
Community Responsibility Order
Monetary Penalty
Bound Over
Conditional Discharge
Absolute Discharge
Other Disposal
Total
Male Female Other1 Total Male Female Other1 Total Male Female Other1 Total Male Female Other1 Total Male Female Other1 Total Male Female Other1 Total Male Female Other1 Total Male Female Other1 Total Male Female Other1 Total Male Female Other1 Total Male Female Other1 Total Male Female Other1 Total Male Female Other1 Total Male Female Other 1 Total
1,022 48 1,070 542 91 633 2 2 57 4 61 106 18 124 54 20 74 3 3 1 1 57 16 3 76 2 3 5 16 8 24 4 4 3 3 1,869 208 3 2,080
% convictions 54.7% 23.1% 0.0% 51.4% 29.0% 43.8% 0.0% 30.4% 0.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.1% 3.0% 1.9% 0.0% 2.9% 5.7% 8.7% 0.0% 6.0% 2.9% 9.6% 0.0% 3.6% 0.2% 0.0% 0.0% 0.1% 0.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 3.0% 7.7% 100.0% 3.7% 0.1% 1.4% 0.0% 0.2% 0.9% 3.8% 0.0% 1.2% 0.2% 0.0% 0.0% 0.2% 0.2% 0.0% 0.0% 0.1% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Magistrates' courts Number
% convictions
2,493 206 2,699 3,253 522 3,775 2 2 208 27 235 910 272 1,182 1,039 108 1,147 492 71 563 46 19 65 12,681 2,961 7 15,649 159 44 203 696 210 906 53 24 77 178 70 248 22,208 4,536 7 26,751
Note: 1. Includes sex not stated, transgender and other offenders, i.e. companies, public bodies, etc.
1
11.2% 4.5% 0.0% 10.1% 14.6% 11.5% 0.0% 14.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.9% 0.6% 0.0% 0.9% 4.1% 6.0% 0.0% 4.4% 4.7% 2.4% 0.0% 4.3% 2.2% 1.6% 0.0% 2.1% 0.2% 0.4% 0.0% 0.2% 57.1% 65.3% 100.0% 58.5% 0.7% 1.0% 0.0% 0.8% 3.1% 4.6% 0.0% 3.4% 0.2% 0.5% 0.0% 0.3% 0.8% 1.5% 0.0% 0.9% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
All courts Number 3,515 254 3,769 3,795 613 4,408 2 2 4 265 31 296 1,016 290 1,306 1,093 128 1,221 495 71 566 47 19 66 12,738 2,977 10 15,725 161 47 208 712 218 930 57 24 81 181 70 251 24,077 4,744 10 28,831
% convictions 14.6% 5.4% 0.0% 13.1% 15.8% 12.9% 0.0% 15.3% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1.1% 0.7% 0.0% 1.0% 4.2% 6.1% 0.0% 4.5% 4.5% 2.7% 0.0% 4.2% 2.1% 1.5% 0.0% 2.0% 0.2% 0.4% 0.0% 0.2% 52.9% 62.8% 100.0% 54.5% 0.7% 1.0% 0.0% 0.7% 3.0% 4.6% 0.0% 3.2% 0.2% 0.5% 0.0% 0.3% 0.8% 1.5% 0.0% 0.9% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Table 5b: Number and Percentage of custodial sentences by sentencing disposal and court type, 2013
Disposal
Court Type
Number
% custodial sentences
Public Protection Sentences Crown Court Life licences Magistrates' courts All courts Crown Court Indeterminate Custodial Magistrates' courts Sentence All courts Crown Court Extended Custodial Sentence Magistrates' courts All courts Prison with a community supervision element
13 13 4 4 53 53
1.2% 0.0% 0.3% 0.4% 0.0% 0.1% 5.0% 0.0% 1.4%
Crown Court Magistrates' courts All courts Crown Court Magistrates' courts All courts Crown Court Magistrates' courts All courts
745 7 752 29 29
69.6% 0.3% 20.0% 2.7% 0.0% 0.8%
2 112 114
0.2% 4.1% 3.0%
223 2,285 2,508 1 295 296 1,070 2,699 3,769
20.8% 84.7% 66.5% 0.1% 10.9% 7.9% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Determinate Custodial Sentence Custody Probation Orders
Juvenile justice order Custody Imprisonment
Young offender centre
Total Custodial
Crown Court Magistrates' courts All courts Crown Court Magistrates' courts All courts Crown Court Magistrates' courts All courts
2
Table 6a: Disposals at Crown Court by offence classification, 2013 Number of convictions Crime category
Suspended custodial
Community sentence
Monetary Penalty
Discharge
Other
Total
225
177
71
21
4
5
503
94
15
16
-
-
1
126
134
19
6
-
-
-
159
62
43
16
4
3
-
128
130
23
17
1
1
-
172
31
23
19
1
2
-
76
154
106
34
9
4
-
307
Possession of Weapons
19
12
3
1
-
-
35
Public Order Offences
83
54
29
9
5
2
182
Motoring
35
14
8
9
1
-
67
Fraud Miscellaneous crimes against society
22
34
12
3
-
-
71
81
113
34
18
8
-
254
1,070
633
265
76
28
8
2,080
Violence against the Person Sexual Offences Robbery Theft Burglary Criminal Damage Drugs Offences
Total
Imprisonment
Percentage of convictions Imprisonment
Suspended custodial
Community sentence
Monetary Penalty
Discharge
Other
Total
Violence against the Person
44.7%
35.2%
14.1%
4.2%
0.8%
1.0%
100.0%
Sexual Offences
74.6%
11.9%
12.7%
0.0%
0.0%
0.8%
100.0%
Robbery
84.3%
11.9%
3.8%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
100.0%
Theft
48.4%
33.6%
12.5%
3.1%
2.3%
0.0%
100.0%
Burglary
75.6%
13.4%
9.9%
0.6%
0.6%
0.0%
100.0%
Criminal Damage
40.8%
30.3%
25.0%
1.3%
2.6%
0.0%
100.0%
Drugs Offences
50.2%
34.5%
11.1%
2.9%
1.3%
0.0%
100.0%
Possession of Weapons
54.3%
34.3%
8.6%
2.9%
0.0%
0.0%
100.0%
Public Order Offences
45.6%
29.7%
15.9%
4.9%
2.7%
1.1%
100.0%
Motoring
52.2%
20.9%
11.9%
13.4%
1.5%
0.0%
100.0%
Fraud Miscellaneous crimes against society
31.0%
47.9%
16.9%
4.2%
0.0%
0.0%
100.0%
31.9%
44.5%
13.4%
7.1%
3.1%
0.0%
100.0%
30.4%
12.7%
3.7%
1.3%
0.4%
100.0%
Crime category
Total 51.4% 1 Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
3
Table 6b: Disposals at magistrates' courts by offence classification, 2013 Number of convictions Crime category Violence against the Person Sexual Offences Robbery
Imprisonment
Suspended Community custodial sentence
Monetary Penalty
Discharge
Other
Total
607
948
795
739
186
92
3,367
23
16
21
11
1
-
72
4
2
8
-
-
-
14
Theft
552
559
543
516
168
10
2,348
Burglary
132
92
107
10
6
3
350
Criminal Damage
312
346
447
282
76
18
1,481
Drugs Offences
134
206
246
868
111
1
1,566
52
102
70
51
26
4
305
Public Order Offences
507
655
389
1,185
272
87
3,095
Motoring
174
537
280
11,267
30
211
12,499
27
77
50
44
9
-
207
175
235
238
676
98
25
1,447
2,699
3,775
3,194
15,649
983
451
26,751
Monetary Penalty
Discharge
Other
Total
Possession of Weapons
Fraud Miscellaneous crimes against society Total
Percentage of convictions Crime category
Suspended Community Imprisonment custodial sentence
Violence against the Person
18.0%
28.2%
23.6%
21.9%
5.5%
2.7%
100.0%
Sexual Offences
31.9%
22.2%
29.2%
15.3%
1.4%
0.0%
100.0%
Robbery
28.6%
14.3%
57.1%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
100.0%
Theft
23.5%
23.8%
23.1%
22.0%
7.2%
0.4%
100.0%
Burglary
37.7%
26.3%
30.6%
2.9%
1.7%
0.9%
100.0%
Criminal Damage
21.1%
23.4%
30.2%
19.0%
5.1%
1.2%
100.0%
Drugs Offences
8.6%
13.2%
15.7%
55.4%
7.1%
0.1%
100.0%
Possession of Weapons
17.0%
33.4%
23.0%
16.7%
8.5%
1.3%
100.0%
Public Order Offences
16.4%
21.2%
12.6%
38.3%
8.8%
2.8%
100.0%
Motoring Fraud Miscellaneous crimes against society
1.4%
4.3%
2.2%
90.1%
0.2%
1.7%
100.0%
13.0%
37.2%
24.2%
21.3%
4.3%
0.0%
100.0%
12.1%
16.2%
16.4%
46.7%
6.8%
1.7%
100.0%
14.1%
11.9%
58.5%
3.7%
1.7%
100.0%
Total 10.1% 1 Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
4
Table 6c: Disposals in all courts by offence classification, 2013 Number of convictions Imprisonment
Suspended custodial
Community sentence
Violence against the Person
832
1,125
866
760
Sexual Offences
117
31
37
Robbery
138
21
14
Theft
614
602
Burglary
262
115
Criminal Damage
343
Drugs Offences
288
Crime category
Monetary Penalty Discharge
Other
Total
190
97
3,870
11
1
1
198
-
-
-
173
559
520
171
10
2,476
124
11
7
3
522
369
466
283
78
18
1,557
312
280
877
115
1
1,873
71
114
73
52
26
4
340
Public Order Offences
590
709
418
1,194
277
89
3,277
Motoring
209
551
288
11,276
31
211
12,566
49
111
62
47
9
-
278
Possession of Weapons
Fraud Miscellaneous crimes against society Total
256
348
272
694
106
25
1,701
3,769
4,408
3,459
15,725
1,011
459
28,831
Monetary Penalty Discharge
Other
Total
Percentage of convictions Imprisonment
Suspended custodial
Community sentence
Violence against the Person
21.5%
29.1%
22.4%
19.6%
4.9%
2.5%
100.0%
Sexual Offences
59.1%
15.7%
18.7%
5.6%
0.5%
0.5%
100.0%
Robbery
79.8%
12.1%
8.1%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
100.0%
Theft
24.8%
24.3%
22.6%
21.0%
6.9%
0.4%
100.0%
Burglary
50.2%
22.0%
23.8%
2.1%
1.3%
0.6%
100.0%
Criminal Damage
22.0%
23.7%
29.9%
18.2%
5.0%
1.2%
100.0%
Drugs Offences
15.4%
16.7%
14.9%
46.8%
6.1%
0.1%
100.0%
Possession of Weapons
20.9%
33.5%
21.5%
15.3%
7.6%
1.2%
100.0%
Public Order Offences
18.0%
21.6%
12.8%
36.4%
8.5%
2.7%
100.0%
Crime category
Motoring Fraud Miscellaneous crimes against society
1.7%
4.4%
2.3%
89.7%
0.2%
1.7%
100.0%
17.6%
39.9%
22.3%
16.9%
3.2%
0.0%
100.0%
15.0%
20.5%
16.0%
40.8%
6.2%
1.5%
100.0%
15.3%
12.0%
54.5%
3.5%
1.6%
100.0%
Total 13.1% 1 Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
5
Table 7: Out of court disposals by type, 2010 - 2013 2010 2011 2012 Disposal type Number Number Number Caution 7,749 7,573 7,209 PPS Ordered Youth Conference Plan 640 927 999 Community Based Restorative Justice scheme 1 1 6 Informed warning 1,657 1,096 929 Penalty Notices for Disorder N/A N/A 1,136 Total 10,047 9,597 10,279 Note: 1. Penalty Notices for Disorder were introduced in Northern Ireland on 6th June 2012.
Table 8a: Penalty Notices for Disorder issued by gender of recipient, 2013
Gender Male Female Not known/other Total
2013 Number % total 2,743 80.8% 650 19.2% 1 0.0% 3,394 100.0%
Table 8b: Penalty Notices for Disorder issued by age band of recipient, 2013
Offender age 10 - 17 18 - 24 25 - 29 30 - 39 40 - 49 50 - 59 60 & over Not known Total
2013 Number % total 4 0.1% 1,641 48.4% 568 16.7% 575 16.9% 328 9.7% 181 5.3% 90 2.7% 7 0.2% 3,394 100.0%
Table 8c: Penalty Notices for Disorder issued by offence classification, 2013 Offence classification Violence Against the Person Sexual Robbery Theft Burglary Criminal Damage Drugs Possession of Weapons Public Order Motoring Fraud Miscellaneous crimes against society Total
Number 689 75 1,353 -
% total 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 20.3% 0.0% 2.2% 0.0% 0.0% 39.9% 0.0% 0.0%
1,277
37.6%
3,394
100.0%
6
2013 Number % total 6,265 56.2% 722 6.5% 0.0% 765 6.9% 3,394 30.5% 11,146 100.0%
Table 9a: Diversionary disposals by gender of offender, 2013
Gender Male Female Not known/other Total
2010 Number
2011 Number 7,297 2,285 15 9,597
7,487 2,547 13 10,047
2012 Number 6,957 2,173 13 9,143
2013 Number % total 5,901 76.1% 1,851 23.9% 0.0% 7,752 100.0%
Table 9b: Diversionary disposals by age band of offender, 2010 - 2013
Offender age 10 - 17 18 - 24 25 - 29 30 - 39 40 - 49 50 - 59 60 & over Not known Total
2010 Number
2011 Number 2,516 3,322 1,002 1,130 794 473 332 28 9,597
2,842 3,384 972 1,170 840 461 359 19 10,047
2012 Number 2,292 2,967 1,079 1,164 876 434 300 31 9,143
2013 Number % total 1,937 25.0% 2,554 32.9% 829 10.7% 926 11.9% 765 9.9% 420 5.4% 298 3.8% 23 0.3% 7,752 100.0%
Table 9c: Diversionary disposals issued by type and offence classification, 2013 Disposal type Offence classification Violence Against the Person Sexual Robbery Theft Burglary Criminal Damage Drugs Possession of Weapons Public Order Motoring Fraud Miscellaneous crimes against society Total
Caution
PPS Ordered YCP
Informed warning
CBRJ
Total
% total diversions
1,065
179
-
118
1,362
17.6%
19 744 47 400 1,254
11 2 93 49 133 35
-
4 123 15 88 73
34 2 960 111 621 1,362
0.4% 0.0% 12.4% 1.4% 8.0% 17.6%
96
7
-
9
112
1.4%
767 1,078 67
96 47 3
-
111 90 7
974 1,215 77
12.6% 15.7% 1.0%
728
67
-
127
922
11.9%
6,265
722
-
765
7,752
100.0%
7
Analytical Services Group, Department of Justice Laganside House, Oxford Street, Belfast BT1 3LA Email: [email protected] Telephone: 028 9072 4530 www.dojni.gov.uk
8