Man arrested for beating thief has case dropped after criminal admits "I deserved it"
A businessman hauled to court for tackling a thief has had the case against him dropped after the serial criminal admitted: 'I deserved it.'
The thief, Matthew Higgins, refused to testify against van owner Steve Coupland, from Hull in East Yorkshire, who confronted him after spotting him trying to break into his work van.
Mr Coupland, 54, jumped on Higgins, 43, as the crook tried to crowbar his way into the vehicle the older man used for his cleaning business.
The property owner was charged with grievous bodily harm with intent after the attack was considered 'way beyond self-defence', but neither Higgins or the Crown Prosecution Service offered evidence against him.
'I'm over the moon now it's finally over,' said Mr Coupland, whose van had already been broken into 13 times. 'This case has wasted a lot of time and money.
Higgins, who had 71 previous convictions, called Mr Coupland to apologise two weeks after the episode, saying: 'I deserve what I got.'Mr Coupland added: "I heard he had previously stabbed someone, but I didn't think about my own safety. I was just fed up of people breaking into my van.'
The businessman was arrested and kept in a cell overnight, but the charges against him were finally dropped on the day his trial was due to start.
A spokesman for the CPS said: 'We have discontinued the case after the victim refused to give evidence.' Mr Coupland said: 'I have worked hard all my life and have never done anything wrong. I was just protecting my property.
'I shouted at him and he hit me with a crowbar. I tried to get it off him and we were fighting. I pushed him over and into a pillar and I think that's how he injured himself.'
In 1989, Higgins was jailed for 14 years for stabbing a solicitor during an armed robbery in Anlaby, Hull.
Since the attack on the van in September last year, Higgins, from Anlaby, has been jailed for 21 months for drugs, blackmail and weapon offences.
He was given a three-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, for attempted theft by trying to break into the van.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ggins-admits-I-deserved-it.html#ixzz1amo0IoWp
A businessman hauled to court for tackling a thief has had the case against him dropped after the serial criminal admitted: 'I deserved it.'
The thief, Matthew Higgins, refused to testify against van owner Steve Coupland, from Hull in East Yorkshire, who confronted him after spotting him trying to break into his work van.
Mr Coupland, 54, jumped on Higgins, 43, as the crook tried to crowbar his way into the vehicle the older man used for his cleaning business.
The property owner was charged with grievous bodily harm with intent after the attack was considered 'way beyond self-defence', but neither Higgins or the Crown Prosecution Service offered evidence against him.
'I'm over the moon now it's finally over,' said Mr Coupland, whose van had already been broken into 13 times. 'This case has wasted a lot of time and money.
Higgins, who had 71 previous convictions, called Mr Coupland to apologise two weeks after the episode, saying: 'I deserve what I got.'Mr Coupland added: "I heard he had previously stabbed someone, but I didn't think about my own safety. I was just fed up of people breaking into my van.'
The businessman was arrested and kept in a cell overnight, but the charges against him were finally dropped on the day his trial was due to start.
A spokesman for the CPS said: 'We have discontinued the case after the victim refused to give evidence.' Mr Coupland said: 'I have worked hard all my life and have never done anything wrong. I was just protecting my property.
'I shouted at him and he hit me with a crowbar. I tried to get it off him and we were fighting. I pushed him over and into a pillar and I think that's how he injured himself.'
In 1989, Higgins was jailed for 14 years for stabbing a solicitor during an armed robbery in Anlaby, Hull.
Since the attack on the van in September last year, Higgins, from Anlaby, has been jailed for 21 months for drugs, blackmail and weapon offences.
He was given a three-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, for attempted theft by trying to break into the van.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ggins-admits-I-deserved-it.html#ixzz1amo0IoWp
