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‘Got my blood boiling’: Outrage as man gets 22 months prison for tackling 2 burglars who were spared

Adam White was jailed in February for causing serious injury by dangerous driving after he ran the burglars away as they attemped to rob his house

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, BEDFORDSHIRE: A father-of-two was sentenced to 22 months in jail for taking the law into his own hands when he ran two men off the road who were attempting to burgle his house in 2019 where his wife and their two children, aged 10 and eight, were also present.

Adam White, 34, was jailed in February for causing serious injury by dangerous driving after he ran the would-be burglars away while the robbers were spared prison. According to the DailyMail, this story was told during an episode of '24 Hours in Police Custody' on Channel 4, which enraged the viewers who were "completely sickened" by White’s conviction while the two crooks Taylor Benford and Ryan Paul, both 25, obtained suspended sentences. According to LBC, the two men were armed with a crowbar and bolt cutters when they tried to enter White's house. 

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Since the episode was aired, White, from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, has received an outpour of support including "kind words and heartfelt sympathy" from members of the public. Viewers claimed that their "blood was boiling" after watching the episode and provoked the Bedfordshire Police department to release a statement explaining their role in the case. A GoFundMe page called 'Give Adam White Justice' has also been set up to help his family. The page has raised more than $19,000 (£16,000) at the time of writing.

The two men, who tried to breach White's house, reportedly sustained a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain, and broken bones after being thrown from the stolen motorbike. As a result, Luton Crown Court handed White 22 months in prison whereas Paul and Benford received suspended sentences and 200 hours of community service at the same court. 

Viewers slammed the legal system on their social media, with one person who appeared to be a police officer claiming that the episode had "got my blood boiling." "24 Hours in Police Custody tonight has got my blood boiling. I love my job but outcomes like that make me think, what’s the point? Have we lost? Are the comforts of *career* criminals more important than the rights and entitlements of society as a whole?" a viewer said. "Ever wanted to know how broken the justice system is in the UK, just watch 24 Hours in Police Custody. Absolutely infuriating and unbelievable," another viewer stated. "That episode of 24 Hours in Police Custody has infuriated me. The justice system is an absolute joke!" the third tweet read.

White penned an emotional tweet in response to the outpour of sympathy, saying "Thank you to everyone for your kind words and heartfelt sympathy we have been through an awful lot, it was hard seeing this on TV and with all the messages I've received has been amazing and very emotional I honestly cant believe the public is behind me." "This is unreal the support from everyone. My wife has just told me some people have set up a go fund me, and it honestly breaks my heart. Thank you, everyone from the bottom of my heart, I'm lost for words," he added in another tweet.

Following the release of the episode, Bedfordshire Police also came forward stating an important reminder “that people must not take the law into their own hands.”

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