Stolen Land Rover case dropped after long delays. Victim expresses anger and frustration over lack of justice.
The crime happened way back in July 2019. The trial was finally set for June 2026. That’s almost seven years later. In December 2024, the CPS dropped the case. They cited the long delay as the reason.
The CPS did agree to get the victim some money. The victim and his dad were super mad. They felt like they didn’t get justice. The dad called it a waste, and wondered how often this happens.
The victim’s Land Rover was stolen. It disappeared around midnight one night. Police found it across the border the next day in Lancashire. Sadly, it was already taken apart.
The Land Rover was stripped quickly. Seats, doors, wheels, everything was gone. Two men got arrested soon after. The police then charged them with handling stolen goods.
The case was delayed because of Covid. The court first scheduled it for May 2022. They delayed it many times after that. The CPS finally dropped it in December, and the victim was very unhappy.
He said he’s spent money on security since. His car got wrecked fast. He received some compensation money, but it did not cover the stress. He was also without his Land Rover.
He thinks the court delays show problems. What’s the point of police if courts fail? The courts should try criminals, he said. He felt it wasted his time and money.
The CPS said delays made them drop it. They tried to hear the case sooner, but things out of their control happened. They did help the victim get money though.
The Ministry of Justice mentioned many problems. These issues did not only relate to backlogs. They want to deliver justice faster. They’re working to fix delays long-term.
The trial was set for September 2022. The defense couldn’t come, so they moved it to January 2023. The court was too busy in January. Therefore, they postponed it to June.
June also failed due to court availability. Then they planned for December 2023, but removed it due to a defendant’s health concern. They rescheduled a mention for January 2024.
One defendant had throat cancer in January. A new trial date was set and moved to August 2024 at first. They changed it to November 2024 later. The court had no space in November. They rescheduled for June 2026 instead.
The CPS dropped the case in December 2024. They sought payment from each defendant. Each had to pay under four hundred dollars. The payment was due January 2025.