Burglar caught by clever cartoonist

       William Ellis Green, aged 82, was making his breakfast when he heard somebody in the garden. “I went out of the back door and suddenly I saw this bloke running towards me. He pushed me out of the way and took my bicycle from the garden shed.” Mr. Green did not resist, as he knew he would come off second best in a fight with the intruder. The burglar tried to cycle away, but the tyres on the bike were flat so it was difficult to ride. “He kept falling off the bicycle,” said Mr. Green, “at least three or four times.” After the man had fled, Mr. Green called the local police.

When they arrived, officers asked him to describe the man, but instead he offered to draw them a picture. “When Mr. Green started drawing,” said one of the police officers, “I knew straight away who the burglar was.” In fact, Mr. Green had worked for more than 20 years in daily newspapers doing caricatures of Australian footballers. “I had no difficulty in remembering the man’s face because he was so close to me.” He said.

Police cruised the neighbourhood in a patrol car with the sketch in search of the alleged burglar and they found him within half an hour. “The cartoon was a perfect likeness of the burglar,” said another police officer.

       Police believe that this is the first time they have ever caught a suspect with a cartoon sketch. Phil Rushford, a senior police constable, said that in the past some victims had used their mobile phones to take photographs at crime scenes, but they hadn’t been as effective.

       A 34-year-old man is expected to be charged with theft, burglary, and assault. The missing bike was later found in a road nearby.

 

1. Mr.Green didn’t fight the burglar because ….

a. he was wearing his best clothes

b. he knew he would lose

c. the burglar was too quick

1. “ Flat” means ….

a. broken

b. not round

c. without air

1. Mr. Green used to be ….

a. an artist

b. a footballer

c. a journalist

1. “ Cruised ” means ….

a. drove around slowly

b. looked everywhere

c. went at top speed

1. According to the police, ….

a. crime victims should take photos

b. a drawing can be better than a photo

c. mobile phone photos cannot be used in court.

1. “ Assault ” means ….

a. attacking someone

b. stealing property

c. breaking into someone’s house

 

1. Reading

 “Creative justice”

I. What do you think would be an appropriate punishment for …?

a. A woman who abandoned some kittens in a forest

b. People caught speeding in a residential area

c. A man who was caught carrying a loaded gun in the street

d. Some teenagers who vandalized a school bus

e. Noisy neighbours who play rock music very loudly at all hours

II. Read the first four paragraphs of the article. What sentence did Judge Cicconetti give these people? Why? Do you think these sentences would be more effective than yours?

III. Read through the questions below. Then read the whole article to find the information.

1. The judge

What was his early life like? How successful has he been professionally?

2. The punishments

Which three creative punishments get the offenders to learn from a personal experience? Which two punishments get them to do something for other people?

3. The reasons behind his system

What inspired his system of creative punishments? Why does he think they are better than conventional punishments? What evidence does he have that the punishments are successful?

IV. What do you think of his system/ Would you like to have a judge like Cicconetti in your town?

V. Speaking. In groups, decide on creative punishments for these crimes or offences.

- An arsonist who sets fire to a local beauty spot, for example, a forest.

- A 15-year-old who is caught drinking and smoking

- Someone who parks illegally causing major traffic delays.

- A group of teenagers who paint graffiti all over walls in a small town.

- A couple whose dogs bark incessantly and bother the neighbours.

- A young person who creates a computer virus [ʹvaiərəs] which infects thousands of computers.