British Judicial System

What it means to be British these days.

A convicted criminal has moved in with a married couple against their wishes after giving their address in court as his home.

Shane Sims, 19, has spent the last few days living with Brenda and Robert Cole after he was sentenced to a week’s curfew for breaching a supervision order.

But the couple claim the first they knew about it was when Sims, a friend of their daughter, moved in on Thursday - followed by security contractors who put a box in a bedroom to monitor his movements with an ankle tag. Sims’ tag keeps him indoors between 7pm and 7am much to the horror of the Coles, who both have learning difficulties.

Mrs Cole, 47, said: “It’s turned our lives upside down He’s taken over the whole place. He sprawls across the sofa and he’s always in the bathroom when you need it. It’s an absolute disgrace. They’ve let a criminal come into our home and there is nothing we can do about it.” ...

Sims appeared before magistrates last Thursday where he admitted breaching a two-year supervision order imposed for assault. He gave the Coles’ Bristol address as his bail address but the Probation Service did not verify it. Sims claims he was told he could stay by the Coles’ 16-year-old daughter Tanya after he fell out with his father.

He allegedly told Mrs Cole: “I’m staying here until the tag’s off. There’s f**k all you can do about it. The courts have told me to.”