PAEDOPHILES, kidnappers and knife-point robbers have all dodged jail in a shocking week of soft justice, it's been revealed.

An audit of 12 courts across the country has found that "habitual" criminals are being let off with light-touch sentences.

In some cases, judges expressed sympathy towards those in the dock, saying that it wouldn't be fair to send them to jail, the Daily Mail reported.

One thug – with 38 previous convictions – arrived at court with a holdall and was seemingly expecting a custodial sentence after breaking an innocent man's jaw in an unprovoked street attack.

But the judge at Newcastle Crown Court decided to allow Thomas Younger, 28, to walk free, much to the disgust of his victim who was left with life-changing injuries.

He had even arrived at court with a bag of belongings, expecting to be behind bars, but was instead given a suspended sentence.

Another case involved a lout who held a knife to a woman's neck and told her "I am going to kill you", but he was also allowed to continue walking the streets.

Glyn Leedell, 39, who had 44 previous convictions, was handed an 18-month suspended sentence at Sheffield Crown Court after the attack in Rotherham, South Yorks.

A career burglar who has been convicted 24 times in the past over 77 offences walked free after a spree of hotel burglaries.

The judge dubbed John Warren's crimes "a way of life" but gave him a two year suspended sentence, after hearing he wanted to take part in rehabilitation.

Mark Greagsbey bullied his mother Carol, 54, so severely over three years she considered taking her own life but was spared jail.

The 34-year-old denied engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour in a family relationship but was convicted.

However, despite the case being described as "one of the most serious we see in the courts" by the Magistrate, he received a 26-week suspended sentence.

A pervert with more than 600 images of child sex abuse images on his computer was let off with a two-year community order by a judge in Manchester.

Judge Elizabeth Nicholls said Allan Williamson, 45, had been "open and frank" with police when they raided his flat in Hulme.

The investigation examined sentences handed out by courts in Bristol, Cardiff, Southampton, Bournemouth, London, Birmingham, Ipswich, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester and Newcastle in one week.

Harry Fletcher, founder of the Victims Rights Campaign, told the newspaper: 'These are truly shocking cases involving very serious violence which should result in custodial sentences.

"It is astonishing they do not. Victims are being let down and communities are not being protected. It is appalling."

Earlier this year, courts were urged to only use short sentences of under 12 months as a "last resort" by Justice Secretary David Gauke.

He said prison shouldn't be used for "punishment" and instead used to "change the lives" of criminals.

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But last year saw violent crime soar by 21 per cent and police recorded 1.3million offences – that's the most since records began 15 years ago.

It comes after a report into scandal-hit Birmingham jail this week where it was revealed that drugs and violence have “spread like cancer”.

Private security giants G4S were on Monday stripped of their control of HMP Birmingham as fresh details emerged of its rapid descent into chaos.

Figures also show how an officer was assaulted by cons every day there last year – while almost two inmates were attacked daily by fellow lags.

Incredibly, conditions have dramatically worsened since the December 2016 riot that saw 400 lags run amok.

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