OFTEN judges find themselves in the court of public opinion because they display an astonishing lack of common sense.

The decision by High Court judges to let six men who had an orgy with two 12-year-old girls walk free with a suspended sentence when the underage girls (who therefore legally could not give any form of consent) wanted sex is exhibit one for the prosecution, M’Lud.

Thankfully we have Recorder Julian Knowles, a part-time judge, whose decision yesterday at least gives our trial a little balance in favour of the judiciary. Yesterday he gave Nathan Hewett a slap on the wrist for thumping teenager Robbie Ingham, who had brazenly admitted burgling his parents’ home.

Of course no one should take the law into their own hands and we do not encourage vigilantes.

But Recorder Knowles quite rightly took the view that if someone has broken into your parents’ home and then turns around to say: “They shouldn’t have left their door open then,” it would take a restraint many of us don’t have not to react.

And, simply, if you don’t want your jaw broken then don’t go burgling people’s houses. A six-week curfew for assault occasioning actual bodily harm is literally nothing.

What a pity Recorder Knowles is only a part-time judge. He could do a lot better job than some of the supposedly top ones sitting in the High Court this week.