JUDGE Douglas Field retired recently after nearly eight years on the bench at Swindon Crown Court.

During a commemorative gathering on his final day, he was told he’d made Swindon a better place, so I thought I’d pay my own tribute by reminding readers about some of his cases.

A particularly notable early one was that of the Coate Water Sex Attacker, who terrorised women at the beauty spot by riding up to them on a bike and groping them on the buttocks and between the legs.

The multiple sexual predator pleaded guilty to five offences but admitted that his true tally was nearer a dozen.

He walked free with a three-year community order and an order to attend a course for sex offenders. The unrepentant criminal was eventually given three months for refusing to attend the course.

This wasn’t the only high profile sexual offence case the judge has handled.

There was, for example, a bloke a while back who had 107,066 child porn pictures and films. He got a suspended sentence, as did the council landscape architect who had 10,455 images and films, mostly showing children aged under 13.

That man’s lawyer told the court: “He has done what he can to try and help himself. He is a professional man. He is well-educated and has a number of degrees. Not surprisingly, he has not been in trouble before.”

It’s worth pointing out that not every sex offender to appear before the judge walked free immediately. A good example is another child porn enthusiast whose 200 hours of films included shots of babies aged under six months. He got two years, which generally equates to a whole 12 months in custody before release.

Mind you, that particular pervert was at pains to stress that he was mostly attracted to older children.

More recently, a man who had sex with a child got four-and-a-half years (two, really) and a man who spent eight years abusing two children he babysat got five-and-a-half years (about three, really).

The judge has also presided over cases involving a great range of other offences.

One of the most noted was a man who assaulted his girlfriend by picking her up and then throwing her to the ground with such force that she broke her foot. As she writhed in agony he accused her of faking.

Later he told her the attack was her own fault and then tried to prevent her from telling hospital staff what had happened. Judge Field imposed a suspended sentence.

Other suspended sentences imposed by Judge Field included one for a man who pleaded guilty to affray after punching a victim to the ground, kicking him as he lay there and stamping on his head.

The same went for a would-be shoplifter with 44 previous convictions who threatened store staff with a dirty needle while shouting: “I’ve got AIDS.”

Non-violent offences presided over by the judge during his years in Swindon include the recent one of a sheltered housing warden who stole more than 19 grand from a resident with dementia.

She walked away with a suspended sentence, as did the woman who stole a watch from a very sick man’s home as he lay in a hospice bed.

Judge Field has also shown himself ready to modify his sentences when new information comes to light.

A good example of this was in 2012, when he amended a curfew he imposed on a man who’d perverted the course of justice, so the criminal could take part in Diamond Jubilee weekend celebrations.

I’m sure all of the accused I’ve mentioned here will be forever grateful to the judge.

Whether their victims will is another matter, but who cares about their feelings anyway?