In 2006, an estimated 5,500 defendants proceeded against for offences in the violence against the person group failed to appear to bail. This information is taken from table 4.9 of the publication “Criminal Statistics 2006, England and Wales”. Data on re-offending while on bail and on breaches of bail conditions are not collected centrally.
(2) what proportion of defendants (a) bailed and (b) remanded in custody (i) were acquitted, (ii) received a custodial sentence and (iii) received a non-custodial sentence in the latest period for which figures are available.
Data showing the number and percentages of defendants acquitted, and receiving custodial and non-custodial sentences, whether remanded on bail or in custody, for 2004-06 (latest three years available) can be found in the following table. These data are a summary of table 4.8 in the annual publication “Criminal Statistics, England and Wales”. An offence group breakdown is not available by outcome. The general presumption in favour of remand on bail (though subject to important exceptions) is based upon the fundamental principle of our legal system that a person is innocent until proven guilty.
Number of persons (thousand) 2004 2005 2006 Final outcome Bailed Remanded in custody2 Bailed Remanded in custody2 Bailed Remanded in custody2 Acquitted or not proceeded with etc. 151.2 17.0 130.8 14.5 119.2 12.8 Convicted: Immediate custody3 44.8 43.7 42.0 41.3 38.7 39.7 Non-custodial sentence4 261.9 22.4 259.1 19.9 258.4 18.0 Total number sentenced5 319.9 69.6 314.2 64.7 310.1 61.2 Total 471.1 86.6 445.0 79.2 429.3 74.0
2004 2005 2006 Final outcome Bailed Remanded in custody2 Bailed Remanded in custody2 Bailed Remanded in custody2 Acquitted or not proceeded with etc. 32 20 29 18 28 17 Convicted: Immediate custody3 10 50 9 52 9 54 Non-custodial sentence4 56 26 58 25 60 24 Total number sentenced5 68 80 71 82 72 83 Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 1 Remand status shown is that given by the court passing sentence. 2 Includes those remanded for part of the time in custody and part on bail. These figures are not directly comparable with the number of persons received on remand into Prison Service establishments (published annually in “Offender Management Caseload Statistics”). This is mainly because these figures relate to the year of the final court decision, rather than the year of the initial reception into prison on remand, which may be different. 3 Includes detention in a young offender institution, detention and training orders and unsuspended imprisonment. 4 Includes discharges, fines, community sentences, and fully suspended sentences. 5 Includes offences otherwise dealt with, not counted as custodial or non-custodial sentences. Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the estimates presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.