Now if every pedophile would simply turn themselves in: Problem solved!
OFFICERS in a police station were stunned when Jehovah’s Witness Zak Babar walked in and handed over a bag of loot, saying “I think I’ve done a burglary.”
Babar, 48, had committed the burglary while in a “stupor” after overdosing on newly prescribed sleeping pills which he did not think were working, Gloucester crown court was told.
Babar, of Regent street, Lydney, Gloucestershire, pleaded guilty to burgling Eric Witheridge’s home, also in Regent street, and stealing jewellery and an iPad on May 18 this year.
Because of his three past convictions for house burglary he was liable to a “three strikes and you’re out” minimum jail term of three years.
But after hearing how he had given himself up and returned most of the stolen property Judge Michael Cullum reduced the sentence to sixteen months imprisonment.
“The victim was contacted and shown the bag of items Babar had brought in. He was able to identify them as his.“
In a victim statement Mr Witheridge said the burglary had impacted on him and his wife.
Babar had made 20 previous court appearances and had convictions for domestic burglaries in 1999, 2008 and 2010.
Owen James, defending, said Babar had been a prolific offender in London in his youth and he came from a troubled background which had left him with post traumatic stress disorder.
He had tried to reform and moved to Lydney to get away from old criminal associates.
Mr James referred the court to psychiatric reports on Babar.
They showed treatment he had been receiving, he said.
In recent years Babar had joined the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Lydney and an elder of the church was supporting him at court, he said.
“This is very much a case of a man who is trying to change his life. On this occasion he took a massive overdose of Temazepam and was in some form of drug induced stupor for almost a week, during which this offence occurred.
“It is to his credit that on realising he had done something wrong he did not seek to hide from it. He could have pawned the stolen goods or got rid of them but he took them to the police and handed himself in.
“He was no doubt influenced by his new found religious beliefs.
“He told the police ‘I was thinking about the victims and how upset they would be.”