Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for selected offence categories, England and Wales, 2012 to 2014 ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾

Offence category

2012

2013

2014

Theft offences

144,972

142,011

135,401

Begging

1,229

2,097

2,219

Sleeping out

21

30

23

(1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.

Ref: PQ HL 8107