New Scheme Brings Victims Face to Face With Offenders
An attacker's become the first in the North East to escape the courtroom, instead coming face-to-face with his victim.
Steven Beckwith was arrested for assaulting a man in Darlington and rather than face the judge, he was offered a place on Durham Police's new Checkpoint scheme.
It's designed to address the problems that lay behind crime being committed by putting offenders on a programme to change their behaviour.
Offenders will avoid a criminal conviction and it's hoped the programme will allow them to turn their lives around.
Steven's received advice for his drinking and anger problems, as well as training which has led to full-time employment.
The 44-year-old said: "I was drinking too much at the time, and with the Checkpoint scheme, it helped me cut down on my drink, they found me funding for my CSCS card, which has now got me back into full-time employment."
"It's changed my life 100 per cent for the better. Without it, I don't know where I'd be now."
His victim, Malcolm Easby, needed to agree to the scheme before Steven could be given a place.
Despite being angry with his attacker, he gives the scheme his full support.
He said: "I thought it was a brilliant idea as soon as the police mentioned it to me."
"We can either send him to court for assault or would you like him to go on this scheme."
"Straight away I wanted him to go on the scheme, if it could help him in anyway, because I felt sorry for him."
The scheme offers an alternative to prosecution for low-level crimes such as shoplifting or theft - but Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg says it's not a soft option.
He said: "What we're trying to do is intervene early into someone's offending career so that they don't go on to continue to commit crimes."
"We know from practice and procedure that if you arrest someone, put them in court, send them to prison, they're going to come back out and very likely be reoffending again within 12 months."