Police and crime commissioners take complaint against Teesside judge a step further

A complaint by the three North-east Police and Crime Commissioners about a Teesside judge’s sentencing of domestic abusers is being taken to the ombudsman.

Cleveland PCC Barry Coppinger, Northumbria PCC Vera Baird and Durham PCC Ron Hogg jointly wrote to the Judicial Conduct and Investigations Office (JCIO) about Judge George Moorhouse, claiming he had “let down” victims of domestic abuse.

They initially complained after a 34-year-old man was given a 12-month suspended sentence, even though he had bitten and throttled his wife, held a knife to her throat and shot her in the foot with a pellet gun.

But after the JCIO said there was no evidence of misconduct, the three produced a dossier of Judge Moorhouse’s sentencing history, detailing four more cases in which he gave domestic violence perpetrators suspended sentences.

The JCIO replied to the PCCs’ letter, saying it was unable, under its terms of reference, to investigate complaints about sentencing.

However, the PCCs have now taken their case a step further by writing to the Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman, expressing their “dissatisfaction” at the JCIO’s “erroneous rejection of our judicial complaint.”

Mr Coppinger said: “We will continue to seek accountability for the decisions made by Judge Moorhouse to ensure that the satisfaction and safety of victims is at the forefront of any sentencing decisions made in regards to domestic abuse.

“It is important that victims are not discouraged from reporting and here in Cleveland we have excellent specialist provisions in place to provide the much needed support that domestic abuse victims often require.”

Vera Baird - formerly Redcar’s MP - said: “The JCIO is saying that no matter how much misconduct he commits, as he disregards the law and the guidelines, the fact that he can call the outcome “a sentence” means his misconduct can’t be dealt with.

“We will see this case through to the end to get some satisfaction for the thousands of women who are let down, having been rightly encouraged by the police to report domestic violence, when judges free violent perpetrators and their victims are forced into hiding.”