A judge has been criticised for telling a violent domestic violence offender to take up running to control his behaviour. The offender, John Norris, aged-21, attacked a woman by grabbing her by the neck and throwing her to the floor.

When Norris appeared at Bristol magistrates court this week, District Judge Lynne Matthews sentenced him to up to 20 days of rehab and 100 hours of unpaid work. When sentencing the offender, Matthews suggested he take up jogging to help him give up drugs.

The victims’ campaigners found the comments ‘wholly inappropriate’. David Spencer, research director at the Centre For Crime Prevention, said: "This was clearly a serious case of violent domestic abuse from a self-confessed problem drug-user. It is wholly inappropriate for a judge to think taking up running is an appropriate recommendation to make.

"Soft sentencing and judicial mollycoddling such as this sends out a clear message to low-level offenders that there are no consequences when you commit offences like this.

"At no point is the impact on the victim or that she feels forced to leave her home taken into consideration in sentencing. This will only serve to normalise domestic violence and abusive behaviour of this kind."

This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Judge Matthews told the court, “I have known John a long time. I am really disheartened to see the mental health difficulties he has begun to experience. If he continues to smoke cannabis, that will continue. Get some motivation. Go running. That will give you an endorphin rush, instead of the cannabis.”

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io