SIR – A suspended prison sentence means that a criminal is sentenced to prison, but does not have to go.

He can walk from the court and commit more crimes! Then he is brought back to court and sent where he should have gone in the first place.

What a waste of court time and money! I wish the judge who suspended the sentence on Dean Hale (T&A, October 27) would have to pay for this out of his own pocket.

L A Hobsbaum, Willow Crescent, Bradford