Serial offender uses ‘last chance’ after 20 years of crime

Saturday 15 December 2018

A serial offender, whose crimes started when he was just nine, has been jailed after jumping from a window, abusing staff and taking drugs at a mental health facility where he’d been sent to receive help.

Luke Clint Cox (31), who is also known as Luke Clint McIntyre, was sent back to Jersey by the Yorkshire-based facility in November after he escaped on several occasions and broke multiple rules.

He was sent there in May after being put on probation for two-and-a-half years following a spate of offending in Jersey, which included possession of cannabis, larceny and attempting to pervert the course of justice. 

At the time, he had been facing a five-year prison sentence, but his lawyer, Advocate Lucy Marks convinced the court to opt for probation with strict conditions – one of those was for him to stay at a mental health facility. 

While things went well for nearly five months, Cox then decided he was ready to leave – against recommendations – and his behaviour went downhill. 

Cox “regularly absconded”, was violent towards staff and took drugs. On one occasion, he jumped from a first floor window. Staff said that his behaviour was challenging and that he didn’t engage with his treatment.

As a result, Cox was sent back to Jersey on 19 November, which put him in breach of his probation order. Crown Advocate Pedley described the situation as being "back to square one" and moved for a three-year prison sentence.

Pictured: Advocate Michael Haines urged Court to impose a community service order.

Advocate Michael Haines, defending, urged the court to consider giving him community service, coupled with psychological treatment given the fact a UK doctor had described him as “vulnerable” and “mentally disordered” and his history of substance misuse.

“We have to be realistic and not put the bar too high,” he said. “There was always a risk of a setback  - this is what this is, no more no less.”

He told Court that Cox wouldn’t have access to the same level of psychological care in prison, later telling the court “sometimes we have to be a little creative, sometimes we have to be a little bit patient”.

He added that being in the “artificial” prison environment would not help Cox, as he needed the opportunity to address his issues in the community.

The Advocate also explained that being in prison, an environment he described as "artificial," was not a good thing for Cox who needs to address his real issues in the community.

He said that Cox knew “his chances in life have come to an end”, reassuring the court that allowing Cox to live with his long-term girlfriend would positively influence him.

Pictured: Cox appeared in Royal Court on Friday after the UK mental health facility sent him back to Jersey.

Royal Court Commissioner Julian Clyde-Smith, who was sitting with Jurats Collette Crill and Rozanne Thomas, recalled that Cox’s record started when he was 12, with his first offending having occurred at the age of nine.

He reminded Cox that the Bailiff, Sir William Bailhache, had warned him back in May that he would face prison if he didn’t change his behaviour.

The Royal Court Commissioner said that Cox had never completed any of his previous community service sentences due to reoffending, which left a question mark over his motivation. 

“It seems to us there comes a point when the interests of the community must prevail,” he added. He explained that the Court had previously taken exceptional steps to help Cox but that they had no option but to send him to prison this time. 

They sentenced Cox to a total of 18 months and urged him to build on the progress he had made so far.