A SENIOR judge has demanded an urgent investigation into electronic tagging of offenders after hearing a youth was able to commit murder while on a curfew.
Mr Lord Justice David Steel said he was "astonished" that Rikki Johnson, 19, had been able to repeatedly breach his court imposed order despite it being electronically monitored.
Speaking as he sentenced Johnson, to life imprisonment for murdering Lewis Singleton, in March last year, Lord Justice Steel, questioned the whole tagging process.
"There is not much point in electronic tagging if no one pays any attention to it," he said.
"No steps were taken at any stage to deal with the matter until after the murder took place.
"The public in general and the Singleton family in particular must be completely astounded that Rikki Johnson was wandering the streets of Southampton that night and not for the first time in breach of a curfew."
Lord Justice Steel added he now wants to see a probation service report into Johnson's case on his desk within a week.
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