Set free to commit crime
Detailed below is the frightening record of a 17-year-old youth, a tearaway convicted of theft and firearms offences.
He appeared in court a year ago on a robbery charge and was remanded on bail initially with no curfew or conditions. Since then he is alleged to have committed a further six offences, culminating in murder.
The charges against him in the past year were for violent assaults, robberies and possession of an offensive weapon. Finally he was accused of stabbing to death another teenager during a fight.
A bail curfew had been introduced but he was only remanded in custody after the murder allegation.
The freedom with which this boy committed offences goes to the heart of the judicial debate involving Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens, the legal profession and Home Secretary David Blunkett.
In a recent speech Sir John savaged the court system as "appalling", accusing lawyers and judges of riding roughshod over the rights of witnesses and victims. He attacked courts for allowing persistent offenders to be freed on bail and described how robbers were "arrogant, untouchable, fearless and ready for anything".
Sir John - speaking after Mr Blunkett had threatened to sack him if street crime levels were not cut - said the result was levels of unprecedented violence. His comments appeared to contradict those of Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf, who called on courts to stop jailing so many offenders to ease prison overcrowding, which had reached the critical 70,000 mark.
In turn Sir John's comments produced an angry response from the legal profession; one leading lawyer warned of the dangers of "sliding towards a police state".
An Evening Standard study shows that courts are highly reluctant to remand suspects in custody - and many go on to commit further offences, notably mugging.
Even when magistrates set conditions such as curfews to stay at home they are often repeatedly ignored. Listed below are 10 typical cases taken from courts in Greater London.
Suspects involved in a catalogue of crimes
So how does a youth magistrate decide on bail?
Bailed boy accused of murder
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