Hartlepool MP Jill Mortimer seeks meeting with Dominic Raab over teenage criminals 'terrorising' residents and businesses

The former Hartlepool Magistrates Court building. Picture by FRANK REID

Hartlepool’s MP has written to the Justice Secretary over child criminals terrorising communities and the closure of the town’s court.

Jill Mortimer is seeking a meeting with Dominic Raab after speaking to residents and police about juvenile offenders.

She is concerned after hearing how they appear before the courts only to released back into the community where they continue to plague people and businesses.

Mrs Mortimer also called again for Hartlepool Magistrates’ Court – which was closed by the Government in 2017 – to be reopened to help deal with a large backlog of cases caused by the pandemic.

Hartlepool MP Jill Mortimer has written to the Justice Secretary over juvenile criminals and the continued closure of the town's court.

In the letter, she explained how she recently met with the Chief Constable Peter Littlewood and local councillors after being contacted by residents who have been the victim of repeated burglaries and violence at the hands of teenagers.

She stated: “They are put before the next available court who refuse to remand them, meaning they are released back into the community and continue to terrorise residents and local businesses.”

Mrs Mortimer went on: “We must act to ensure that magistrates have more powers and options in cases of underage sentencing where juveniles are charged with such serious and violent offences.”

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She adds she intends to organise a debate in Westminster to discuss “the many intricate factors” including a lack of secure care placements and insufficient boundaries for children in local authority care.

Mrs Mortimer states: “It is of course a question of balancing rights, but residents deserve to be able to go about their business without fear, and right now we are not doing enough to balance their rights against the rights of juveniles to be protected by the justice system.”

Regarding Hartlepool Magistrates’ Court, she says little progress has been made in the past year after previously raising the issue adding: “The justice system remains stagnated as a result of the Covid backlog, which worsens by the day while courts such as Hartlepool’s sit empty.”

Back in January, Mrs Mortimer said Mr Raab, who is also the Lord Chancellor, had agreed to consider reopening the court building after she meet with him.

It was closed in reforms by the Ministry of Justice which said it was underused.

The majority of cases are now dealt with at Teesside Magistrates’ Court in Middlesbrough town centre.