“I burgled your house because I was abusing drugs. I had no concept of remorse, I only cared about one thing at the time and that’s me and getting money for drugs.”
So wrote Callum Greenaway, a "serial burglar," in one of more than 70 apology letters he wrote to his victims, the Southend Standard reported.
The 26 year old's actions convinced one judge to reduce his sentence from five to two-and-a-half years in jail, according to the Mirror.
Greenaway, from Essex, England, admitted to stealing about $250,000 from homes and businesses.
He maintained that his crimes were drug-motivated and tried to console families in his letters.
“I hope this letter gives you closure," one note said. "I hope you realize there was nothing personal about the offence, I did not target you or your family."
But not everyone is impressed by Greenaway's gesture.
One unnamed victim remained unconvinced, telling the Mirror that she felt "quite cynical" about the whole thing.
Greenaway's career history dates back 12 years, according to the Daily Mail. Previous offenses include drunk and disorderly conduct, drug possession, and assaulting a police officer.
"The naive belief that [stiff prison sentences] can be replaced by contact between criminals and their victims is a risk to public safety," said director of the Centre for Crime Prevention, Peter Cuthbertson, to the Express. “It won’t take long for all criminals to work out they can beat the system with insincere letters and escape proper punishment.”
H/T Digital Spy
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