If we are going to let people like Brenda Cook go free (Adver Mon, March 17) there is no point in having courts in the first place.

Like all right minded people I am sick and tired of hearing about people like her being put in front of a judge and then being let off because they come up with some pathetic sob story.

This horrible woman stole a precious watch from a man who had cancer while he was in a hospice and then said she shouldn’t go to prison because she has health problems.

Well, so what? If she was fit enough to do the crime she’s fit enough to do the time and what she deserved was at least five years.

What sort of message does the softly softly treatment send out to other criminals?

That they needn’t worry about punishment because they won’t get any?

Mr J Hall, Wroughton, Swindon