The Birmingham dad given unusual length jail-time after saying he 'fears freedom'

Peter Marner, aged 41, intentionally committed a serious offence knowing it would land him back in prison for a significant period of time

This is the Birmingham dad given an unusual length prison sentence after saying he 'feared freedom'. Peter Warner intentionally committed a number of serious offences including attempted robbery, knowing it would land him back in jail for a significant period of time.

The 41-year-old, from Balsall Heath, lived a seemingly normal life until his mid-20s before racking up more than 100 crimes. He put the 'downward spiral' of his life down to taking cannabis, which escalated to a class A drug addiction and then a cycle of shoplifting to fund it.

A judge concluded Marner was 'institutionalised' and felt he could not 'exist outside' prison. At around 10.55pm on August 26 this year he confronted a couple in Edgbaston and asked the man 'what's happened?'. He then approached the victim, who had carried on walking, and stuck a screwdriver to his leg while demanding money.

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The victim feared it was a knife and told his girlfriend to run home. He managed to push Marner away and flee but the defendant caught up with him outside his property and said 'come on big man I will kill you'. A struggle ensued and the victim retreated inside his home only for Marner to bang on windows and doors before leaving.

Later that night the defendant smashed a window at nearby Washington Court where he was staying, then headbutted a police officer while on the way to hospital. Marner had 75 previous convictions for 105 offences, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

Stephen Cadwaladr, defending, said: "He was in a relationship. He's got three children. He was working and didn't leave school with qualifications but obtained skills on leaving school. In the first ten years after leaving school he worked as a welder and landscape gardener.

"The relationship broke down. He doesn't place blame on anyone else but himself. What he had started to do was take cannabis."

He stated cannabis brought on depression and paranoia, adding: "It was only when the relationship ended, which he blames himself for, that the spiral took hold.

"There was a vicious spiral of shoplifting, taking class A drugs, lots of short sentences in the measure of weeks until he says going in and out of prison became a way of life. He came outside and felt paranoia and difficulty in coping.

"He was really struggling to cope and wanted to go back to prison. He knew committing offences like this would lead to him being back in prison for longer than his previous sentences.

"Prison is better than freedom. This is his reason for committing the offences. Although he is taking courses inside and is drug-free he still fears freedom. He doesn't in fact wish to be released immediately."

Recorder Simon Hughes, passing sentence on October 4, told Marner: "You appear so institutionalised you find it difficult to exist outside of a custodial setting."

Marner admitted attempted robbery, two offences of criminal damage, assaulting an emergency worker and possessing a bladed article. He was sentenced to three years and 146 days, around five months, due to credit for his guilty pleas and some offences warranting consecutive punishments.