Rioter''s sentence cut after bed rest woes
12/10/2011
A drama student convicted of stealing goods from Sainsbury's during the Manchester riots has had his sentence cut in half because he was finding it hard to sleep on his prison bed.
Joshua Penney, who is 17, was sentenced for stealing a bottle of alcoholic drink from the supermarket, and yesterday became the first rioter in the country to have his jail time cut on appeal.
He said he has been suffering from extreme anxiety and is sleeping in bed for only a few hours a night.
Penney has expressed remorse for his part in the riots, saying that seeing the news coverage of the destruction made him feel like "scum".
Speaking about the eight-month sentence handed to him, judge Michael Henshell said: "This is not a case that should have been dealt with by way of a referral order, but we are of the view that the order was too long.
"We are satisfied the sentence should have been four months of detention and training."
The Manchester riots took place in August and resulted in the arrests of over 100 people.
Posted by Elizabeth Mewes
