Shropshire victims waiting more than a year to have cases dealt with

Experts have warned that cuts to criminal justice have resulted in a "crumbling" system, leaving victims and defendants at Shrewsbury Crown Court in limbo for months or even years and potentially damaging the quality of evidence given.

The latest figures from the Ministry of Justice, which covers trials that were concluded at the county's crown court in the first three months of this year, show the average time between a crime being committed and the case being completed at the county's only crown court stood at 815 days.

This was 505 days longer than during the same period in 2011.

That is an increase of 163 per cent, despite the number of cases dropping from 127 to 99 over the same period.

The figures refer to the average time elapsed after an offence was committed, meaning trials for historical offences could distort the figures.

A 2015 report from the charity Victim Support warned that long waits for cases to be concluded could cause stress and anxiety, and could also diminish the quality of evidence given by witnesses.

Despite this, average waits for cases to be completed – which is when a defendant is acquitted or, if found guilty, sentenced – have risen by 34 per cent across England and Wales over the last eight years.

New technology

A spokeswoman for HM Courts and Tribunals Service said: “We are working hard to reduce the time it takes for cases to go through the courts and waiting times are at their lowest in four years, despite an increasingly complex caseload including more historical offences.

“We have invested in new technology which is speeding up the process, and the number of outstanding crown court cases is at its lowest rate in nearly twenty years.”

The length of time taken for police or the Crown Prosecution Service to bring charges in the cases resolved at Shrewsbury Crown Court has also increased.

In the three months to March 2011, the average time between the offence, or alleged offence, taking place and charges being brought was 140 days.

By 2019, this had risen to 578 days – an increase of 313 per cent.

Meanwhile the picture of longer and longer delays is replicated at nearby crown courts which also deal with Shropshire cases.

Similar figures show the average time between a crime being committed and the case being completed at Wolverhampton Crown Court stood at 556 days. This was 215 days longer than during the same period in 2011.

The average delay at Stafford Crown Court was 633 days, 88 days longer than in 2011.

Police cuts

Police officers blame cuts to their ranks – forces in England and Wales have lost almost 22,000 officers since 2010 – and reductions in funding for the delays.

John Apter, national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: "At all stages of the investigative process, there are fewer officers dealing with escalating demands.

"It is hardly surprising then that investigations are taking longer to complete as officers juggle competing demands, while trying their very best to care for their victims and bring offenders to justice."

Deputy Chief Constable Sara Glen from the National Police Chiefs' Council added that officers had seen an increase in complex investigations, as well as digital evidence that has to be examined before cases are passed to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Earlier this year, a Midland Circuit judge who regularly sits at Shrewsbury Crown Court criticised a delay of almost two years in one case.

Judge Anthony Lowe said: “Nobody should have to wait for over a year to find out their fate, particularly somebody who is young.

“Their lives are put on hold. That is not the sign of a well-run court system.

“A year goes by and their case has not come to an end. That is unacceptable. This is something for those who have to make decisions to take on board.

“Slow justice is poor justice.

“Somebody needs to look and see why this is happening when cases should be done and dusted within weeks.”