ROBERT JENRICK: Why crooks might quickly be toasting Keir Starmer in champagne as soon as once more

It feels like we’re living through a crime wave right now. In our cities, there is a phone theft epidemic. 

And in rural areas, county lines drug gangs have gained footholds, bringing violence to sleepy villages.

Some crimes seem to have been decriminalised altogether, with no prospect of punishment for offenders.

Take shoplifting, which is now at its highest level since records began. On average, 738 shop- lifting cases went unsolved every single day last year.

It’s a little-known fact that 10 per cent of criminals are responsible for at least half the crime.

This small group of hardened offenders are terrorising law-abiding Brits – and they’re getting away with it. In some cases, criminals with hundreds of prior convictions are not receiving prison sentences.

Tanya Liddle, a prolific shoplifter in the North East, who amassed 171 convictions for 499 offences, recently managed to avoid prison for her 172nd offence with a conditional discharge. That’s mind-boggling.

And if these hyper-prolific offenders do actually get sent to jail, they receive weak sentences that are watered down further by the Government’s early release scheme.

It feels like we’re living through a crime wave right now, writes Jenrick (pictured)

Prolific shoplifter Tayna Liddle amassed 171 convictions for 499 offences

The cases exposed by Dr Lawrence Newport and the Mail today show that even criminals with a history of violence are getting off scot-free.

Few cases are more shocking than that of David Challacombe. He recently received just nine weeks for beating up his girlfriend despite his long history of violence against his partners and 11 prior convictions.

Or Abdirahman Abdi, who kicked and punched a man who intervened to stop him harassing a group of girls, and had 22 previous convictions. He received just 10 months.

In next to no time, these men will be out to reoffend again and again. 

Not only is this deeply unfair on communities that have to put up with the same faces ruining their lives – it’s frankly dangerous.

We are a fair-minded nation that believes in second chances, but right now hardened criminals are laughing at the Government’s naivety.

If the police targeted prolific criminals and the courts handed down stronger sentences, we could lock these individuals up for longer and cut crime rates.

That’s what a common-sense justice system would do.

If Labour goes ahead with this, criminals will once again be popping champagne corks in celebration (Pictured: Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood)

We are a fair-minded nation that believes in second chances, but right now hardened criminals are laughing at the Government’s naivety.

If the police targeted prolific criminals and the courts handed down stronger sentences, we could lock these individuals up for longer and cut crime rates.

That’s what a common-sense justice system would do. 

But instead Starmer is plotting to scrap short prison sentences later this year, meaning fewer of these prolific offenders will be going to jail.

If Labour goes ahead with this, criminals will once again be popping champagne corks in celebration at the Prime Minister’s soft touch.