Regular readers will remember how violent thug Bryn Phillips was defeated in his attempt to win a seat on the City of London Corporation council last week. Yesterday he was sentenced to community service and compulsory weekly psychiatric sessions for his role in the London riots last summer. While Guido was disappointed that the cop-assaulting burglar wasn’t sent down, the judge revealed some very interesting mitigating circumstances during his sentencing.

Not only did Phillips hide behind mental issues, but the judge warned that he would have jailed the pint-sized hippy hooligan for 20 months had he not received a glowing character reference from a senior political figure: one Maurice Glasman. Ed Miliband’s one time guru saving a rioting criminal from prison – Guido wonders what the Shadow Home Secretary makes of that…