8.3. CRIME DOESN’T PAY

8.3. CRIME DOESN’T PAY

8.3.1

Introduction

Read the comment below and say

how far you agree or disagree with it.

‘Crime doesn’t pay because you always get caught in the end.’

Listening

Read the text and then listen to the

recording. Find eleven significant

differences between the two reports.

An unemployed man killing time before a date decided to turn to crime to ease his money problems. He wrote out a note reading ‘I’ve got a gun in my pocket and I’ll shoot it off unless you hand over the money’.

But David Smith, aged 21, failed to get any cash in spite of going into three shops in London Road, West Croydon.

At a chemist’s a girl assistant refused to accept the note, believing that it contained an obscene suggestion. Next door, in a hardware shop, the Asian assistant said that he could not read English.

In desperation Smith, of High Road, Whitelea, Kent, went to a takeaway food shop, but the assistant could not read the note because he did not have his glasses.

Smith told the police: ‘I’ve been a fool. When the judge hears about this, he won’t believe anyone could be so stupid. I only pretended to have a gun’.

8.3.2

Vocabulary

Read the newspaper articles below

and try to work out the meaning

of the multi-word verbs in italics.

The Straight and Narrow BREAKDOWN IN LAW AND ORDER

The literary world was taken aback A police spokesman said yesterday that law and

yesterday when the famous author, order is breaking down in some inner-city areas.

Arnold Swift, was found guilty of He was speaking after a night in which two riots

stealing copies of his latest novel from had broken out and several serious crimes had

a bookshop. The magistrate said that been reported. ‘At present, too many people think

he would let him off lightly with a £50 they can commit a crime and get away with it,’

fine, but warned him that any further he said.

offences would result in a more serious

punishment. The novel is called Keeping BOMB BLUST

to the straight and narrow. A bomb went off in a central car park in the

early hours of yesterday morning. Police

HARDENED CRIMINALS sealed off several streets and carried out a

Two men who escaped from prison by detailed search of the area. It appears the

hiding inside a cement mixer were bomb was intended for a busy shopping

recaptured last night when they gave centre nearby.

themselves up to the police. It seems

that the two men, who were described caught red-handed

as hardened criminals, had been unable Yesterday, Gregory Brush, 24, was

to get very far because of the quick-drying convicted of the attempted robbery of a paint

cement that had stuck to their feet. The factory in Leeds. It was reported that he fell

prison authorities have said they will into a large drum of red paint while trying to

set up a committee to look into security escape with the money. He was rescued by a

at the prison. night watchman and gave himself up when

police arrived to arrest him. He owned up to the crime

and pleaded guilty at his trial.

Definition

Match the multi-word verbs with their definitions:

1. to give oneself up (to someone)	a. to prevent people getting in or out of an area or building by closing all the entrances
2. to own up (to doing something)	b. to surprise or shock someone with something contrary to expectation
3. to take someone aback	c. to explode, detonate, or ignite to make a sudden loud noise
4. to let someone off (with something)	d. to begin suddenly, usually in an unpleasant and violent way
5. to set something up	e. to admit or confess to a crime or doing something wrong
6. to carry something out	f. to fail, cease or collapse because of a problem or disagreement
7. to go off	g. to establish something, to make the arrangements and preparation for something to start
8. to seal something off	h. to punish someone lightly or not at all (informal)
9. to break down	i. to allow oneself to be arrested or captured
10. to break out	j. to perform or conduct something

Drills

Listen to the sentences. Use the prompts

you hear to make sentences with the

same meaning.

8.3.3

Practice

Read the newspaper extracts below.

Substitute, where appropriate, the

multi-word verbs from this unit.

A recent survey, conducted by a national newspaper, shows that the traditional two-parent family is collapsing and is gradually being replaced by single-parent family.

Bank robbers who managed to hide themselves in a time-lock safe in an attempt to steal £3 million, found they were unable to escape when their explosives failed to detonate. They did not resist arrest when security guards opened the safe two days later.

A woman whose 6-year-old daughter was killed by a drunk driver has complained that the judge only gave the man a six-month suspended sentence and a £250 fine. The Home Secretary has said he will be establishing a committee to look into the sentencing guidelines for such cases.

Shortly after the match, fighting suddenly began among the supporters of two rival football teams. The police stopped people entering or leaving the town centre in an attempt to contain the violence.

Jayne Wilson confessed to stealing £15,000 from the company where she worked when she was caught red-handed by a security camera which recorded her placing the money in her briefcase. ‘I was shocked and surprised when I saw the recording,’ said the managing director. ‘I thought she was someone we could trust completely.’

Collocation

Which of the words can be used with

the multi-word verbs? Up to three

items may be correct.

1. The judge let him off with _____________________

a. a warning b. a suspended sentence

c. the death penalty d. a two-year prison sentence

2. They have set up _____________________

a. a business b. a birthday party c. an inquiry d. a research team

3. They have carried out ___________________

a. an experiment b. a committee c. an inquiry d. a test

4. a. The alarm clock b. The fireworks c. The gun d. The telephone

________________ went off.

5. a. A new film b. A flu epidemic c. A fire d. An argument

________________ has broken out.

6. a. Peace talks b. The holidays c. Negotiations d. Community relations

_________________ have broken down.

8.3.4

Idiom

Explain the meaning of the expressions

in bold. Give Russian or Belarusian

equivalents to them.

He had kept to the straight and narrow all his life, so we were taken aback when we heard he had committed a serious crime.
It was a case of poetic justice. While the burglar was away on holiday someone broke into his house and stole everything.
The judge’s responsibility is to ensure that a suitable punishment is given. In other words, the punishment should fit the crime.
When the man was found not guilty of killing the children, the local people took the law into their own hands. They set fire to his house and forced him to leave the area.

Off

How multi-word verbs work. What is the

general meaning of the particle off

when used with the verbs below?

They let off some fireworks to celebrate.
Price increases sparked off violent protests.
The bomb went off without warning.
The assassination triggered off a civil war.
The bomb was set off by remote control from a safe distance.

C What is the difference between to set up an

investigation and to carry out an investigation?

8.3.5

Activate

Answer the following questions using words

from this unit.

What do you think when you hear an abrupt loud sound in the street?
Your friend has been involved in a petty crime. It is probable the police will catch him. What would you advise him to do?
If you discovered something surprising or shocking about someone you have known for a long time, what would your reaction be?
What can cause riots to start suddenly?
Which of the following people would you punish lightly or not at all?

poor woman caught stealing food from a supermarket
someone caught stealing small items from work
a student traveling on a bus without a ticket who refuses to pay a fine
a 13-year-old boy caught breaking into a parked car

Can you think of examples of people who have been punished lightly for crimes they committed? If so, what were the crimes?

Interaction

Discuss the questions below.

A man tries to steal some money from your bag. You catch him red-handed. What do you do?
How important is it that people in public life, such as politicians, keep to the straight and narrow in their private lives?
What is your reaction when you hear about a case of poetic justice?
Why is it so important that the punishment should fit the crime? What is the result if it doesn’t?
When, if ever, is it right to take the law into your own hands?

8.3.6

Idiom

Read the dialogue and try to

explain the idioms in bold.

- So Inspector … What do you make of the burglaries?

- Well Mr Sparks, I’d say you’ve got 1) a rotten apple in the company.

- Are you suggesting that staff are involved?

- That’s what I said. Yes, it was certainly 2) an inside job, masterminded by one of your own people.

- Wh-Why would you say that?

- No broken windows or locks tend to suggest that the burglar had a key. Wouldn’t you agree, Mr Sparks?

- Um …

- Come on Mr Sparks, 3) spill the beans. We know you were involved. Just give us the details now.

- But, Inspector, I didn’t do anything. Why are you 4) pointing the finger at me?

- You thought you couldn’t 5) put a foot wrong, didn’t you? But unfortunately, you and one of you accomplices were seen leaving the building.

- What rubbish! That’s a lie. I was nowhere near the building!

- I’m afraid there’s evidence Mr Sparks, such as the video from the security camera and the fingerprints on the safe. Hm, it appears that you didn’t 6) cover your tracks as well as you thought you had! Now … are you going to stop lying and 7) come clean or are you going to make it difficult for yourself?

- I never wanted to do it Inspector, but I was desperate – I needed the money. Am I going to have to 8) do time for this?

- I’m afraid so. Yes, you’re definitely 9) in hot water Mr Sparks. Ah yes, one more thing …

Are you intending to 10) carry the can for your accomplices as well or are you going to tell me who they are?

Definition

Match the items with the idioms from Part A.

a crime committed by somebody within a company / group, etc.
somebody / something that is a bad influence on others
to confess to something
in trouble
to make mistakes
to reveal information / the truth
to hide / get rid of incriminating evidence
to accuse
to serve a prison sentence
to take the blame (for somebody else)

Practice

Insert the idioms into the dialogue below.

Policeman:	Oliver, this is the third time in as many months I’ve caught you stealing. It’ll probably be prison this time. What do you have to say for yourself?
Oliver:	I’m sorry, Sergeant Nixon.
Policeman:	It was Gary O’Grady’s idea, wasn’t it? He’s a 1) … you know. Don’t be a fool. Don’t 2) … because of him. Just 3) … .
Oliver:	I won’t 4) … my friends.
Policeman:	Gary must think you’re a fool, you know. You 5) … for him every time. Well, you’ll have plenty of time to think about it in prison.

Word Use

Fill in the gaps in the following sentences:

The criminal made sure that he had … before he left the scene of the murder.
After three days of interrogation, the prisoner finally … and told the police who his accomplice was.
Marjorie is very diligent and responsible in her work. She never … .
My sister got into … with my parents after she stayed out late on a school night.
The police concluded that the crime must have been … as no one else but the bank employees know the combination of the safe.

8.3.7

Idiom

Read the dialogue and try to explain the idioms in bold.

- Officer Brown? It’s Mrs Witherbottom from the residents’ association in Widdey Grove.

- Oh yes, right. What can I do for you?

- I’m afraid we’ve had more break-ins, and the police don’t seem to be doing anything about it. You can’t just 1) brush the problem under the carpet, you know!

- Mrs Witherbottom! We’re doing our best!

- Oh really? Well, we’ve been waiting for someone to 2) blow the whistle on these burglars for long enough, so we’ve decided to do something about it ourselves. In fact, Mrs Simms and her dog Rambo 3) caught one of them in the act this morning!

- Mrs Simms and Rambo?

- Yes, she saw him just as he was about to break into Mrs Boyd’s house, so 4) on the spur of the moment, she set Rambo on him! Honestly, these young hooligans think they can 5) get away with murder – 6) in broad daylight, too!

- Oh no! Is the lad alright? I mean, you can’t attack people Mrs Witherbottom – even if they are criminals! You have to do these things 7) by the book!

- Yes, yes. Well, Rambo certainly caught him 8) off guard! He tried to 9) cut and run, of course, but he had no chance of escape with Rambo there!

- But is the boy okay?

- Oh yes, just a few cuts and bruises, but good old Rambo 10) taught him a lesson, that’s for sure!

- Thank goodness! Right Mrs Witherbottom, don’t go anywhere. I’m on my way.

Definition

Match the items with idioms from Part A.

in the daytime / when it is easy to see
to hide / ignore something illegal / unpleasant / embarrassing, etc.
spontaneously
by surprise
to punish somebody in order to improve their behaviour
to make a quick escape
according to the law / rules
to discover somebody in the act of wrongdoing
to do something terrible / illegal without being punished
to stop something bad or illegal from happening by telling the authorities

Practice

Rephrase the sentences using the words

in brackets. Do not change these words

in any way.

The Armstrongs had their house burgled in the daytime. (broad)
Arthur and Vanessa suddenly decided to escape. (moment)
Young Jack never gets punished because he’s got such an innocent face. (murder)
I’m sorry it’s taking so long but we have to do it according to the law. (book)
The magistrate was surprised by the reporter’s comment about his alleged involvement with organized crime. (guard)

Check Yourself

Fill in the missing verbs to complete

the idioms. Use them to make up

sentences of your own.

1. to … and run

2. to … the whistle

3. to … somebody a lesson

4. to … something under the carpet

5. to … somebody in the act

8.3.8

Rephrase

Replace the words in bold with suitable idioms.

The man refused to take all the blame and quickly identified his accomplices.
The businessman denied having tried to hide dishonest deals and swore that all of his business transactions were done legally.
Unless we get rid of the evidence, the police are sure to find us and then we’ll have to go to prison!
The police caught the thief as he was committing the crime so he knew he was in big trouble.
The criminal thought he could escape without punishment until his accomplice told the truth about what had happened.

B Change the sentences using the words in brackets.

When the teacher asked Mary who had stolen her book she said it was Bert. (pointed)
Jill rarely makes mistakes; she’s far too careful. (foot)
The robber felt so guilty that he went to the police station and told them what he had done. (clean)
Paul is in jail now because he stole money from the company where he worked. (time)
If you lie to the police, you’ll almost certainly end up in trouble. (hot)
Although Sam knew he’d be expelled if he took the blame for his friends, he still wouldn’t betray them. (can)
The politician was ashamed of his careless mistake and tried to pretend it hadn’t happened. (carpet)
I know Craig read your diary – I discovered him reading it in the kitchen! (act)
When Mr Simms came home the burglars managed to run away quickly. (cut)
Nobody knew the truth about the actress until her ex-husband revealed her secrets in a book about their marriage. (beans)

8.3.9

Word Choice

Choose the word which best completes

each sentence.

1. Before they could incite the other workers, the two rotten … were fired.

a. grapes b. oranges c. apples d. pears

2. The detective suspected that the crime was an inside … .

a. job b. work c. career d. task

3. The robbers didn’t cover their … very well, so the police found them easily.

a. footsteps b. rails c. trails d. tracks

4. If Marcy finds out about this, she’ll soon blow the … on what we’re doing.

a. whistle b. horn c. trumpet d. pipe

5. We decided to go to Paris for the weekend on the … of the moment.

a. spike b. point c. spur d. blade

6. Mrs Johnson’s grandson gets away with …; she never punishes him, no matter how naughty he is.

a. assault b. murder c. robbery d. burglary

7. I couldn’t believe it when I saw them together in … daylight!

a. thick b. actual c. full d. broad

8. Unless we do everything by the …, we’ll get into trouble.

a. book b. page c. police d. law

9. The question caught the politician off … and he fell silent, unable to find an answer.

a. balance b. side c. notice d. guard

10. You should send him to bed without any supper. That will teach him a … .

a. subject b. lesson c. theory d. trick

Correction

Replace the incorrect idioms with suitable alternative.

It’s going to be difficult to prove that he’s guilty as he never seems to put a foot wrong.
Don’t tell Greg about Jack’s surprise party – he’s bound to carry the can.
Most employers are unwilling to hire anyone who has done time.
The enemy caught out soldiers off guard and were easily able to capture the city.
It was amazing that no one saw the attack as it took place in hot water.
Sheila likes to plan everything carefully, so she rarely does anything on the spur of the moment.
The police rushed to the scene of the crime, but the criminals had already blown the whistle by the time they arrived.
After Bob’s mother caught him pulling his sister’s hair, she sent him to bed early to catch him in the act.
The government tried to brush the increasing unemployment figures under the carpet.
The police were certain that the theft was a rotten apple as the thief had known exactly where to find the files.

Activate

Answer the questions below:

If someone spills the beans, do they come clean? Why / Why not?
If someone is a rotten apple should you teach them a lesson? Why / Why not?
If you don’t want someone to get away with murder, should you blow the whistle on them? Why / Why not?
If you want to catch somebody in the act, is it easier if they are off guard? Why / Why not?
If someone is in hot water, is it because they’ve put a foot wrong? Why / Why not?

8.3.10

Opinion

Read the following extract and

answer the questions below.

Three strikes and you’re out

California’s new ‘three strikes’ law, which was introduced with overwhelming public support, requires people with a serious criminal conviction to receive twice the normal sentence when convicted of a second felony – and 25 years of life for any third offence. In the recent case, this resulted in a jail sentence of 25 years for a man found guilty of stealing pizza from a group of children.

Why do you think this law was introduced?
What effects could it have?
Is it a sensible law, in your opinion?
Does the punishment always fit the crime when this law is applied?

Reading

Five people are talking about how they were

treated by others when they had done

something wrong. Discuss which of these

situations you regard as the most serious.

Which of them amounts to breaking the law?

Speaker 1

Oh, I can remember coming home one night and my parents had locked me out. I was nearly 16 at the time and I was supposed to be in by 10 o’clock and this time I’d missed the bus so it was nearly midnight by the time I got home. Of course they let me in after a bit, but for those few minutes I thought I was going to have to sleep on the doorstep!

Speaker 2

It was my first week in a new job and my boss had asked me to send a load of faxes to various company branches. It was nearly time to go home when he gave them to me, so I thought they could wait until morning. Unfortunately they were about a meeting the following day and so nobody turned up. There was all hell to pay and in fact after a few more disasters I was sacked. It was a lesson I learned the hard way, I can tell you.

Speaker 3

I was teaching my son to drive at the time and I thought it would be a good idea to see if he could park the car close to the pavement. He did a splendid job, and as we were in town we popped into a few shops to do a bit of shopping. When we came out the car had gone. We thought it must have been stolen so I spotted a traffic warden and ran over to her. She gave me a funny look and asked if it was a red Saab and when I said yes that it was, she explained, stony-faced, that it had been illegally parked and had therefore been towed away. I was flabbergasted!

Speaker 4

I was coming home from the pub last Friday with a couple of mates and as we’d had a bit to drink I was wheeling my scooter along the pavement. Just then a police van drew up and two policemen jumped out. I thought they thought I’d stolen it so I showed them the keys. Instead they breathalysed me and took me off to the station and charged me for being ‘drunk in charge of a motor vehicle’. A bit strong, I thought, specially as I hadn’t been riding it and if I’d left the scooter outside the pub, it would probably have got nicked!

Speaker 5

When I came back from abroad I did something really stupid. I brought my cat with me. I knew it wasn’t allowed, but you see I just couldn’t bear to be parted from him and it didn’t seem so awful at the time. However I got reported. I never did find out who it was, and although I got told off and fined, which was all pretty humiliating, the worst thing was they took him away and had him put down. I was heartbroken.

Comprehension

Decide what each of those people feel

about the punishment they received. Match

the speakers to the reactions below.

1. unfairly treated

2. worried about what might have happened

3. surprised by the severity

4. tough but just

5. terrified by the suddenness

6. unconcerned about the outcome

7. extremely upset

8. relieved but annoyed

Interaction

Interview each other about situations when

you did something which was considered to

be wrong. Say, how you felt at the time and

whether you were treated fairly.

8.3.11

Translation

Translate the text and express your

opinion on whether the hero of this

story is right or wrong in his opinions and actions.

Sometimes he researched subjects of interest to him, through Prodigy and Genie. More often, however, he explored ways to gain unapproved access to private and government computers that were protected by sophisticated security programs.

Once entry was achieved, he was engaged in illegal activity. He never destroyed any company’s or agency’s files, never inserted false data. Still, he was guilty of trespassing in private domains. He could live with that.

He was not seeking material rewards. His compensation was knowledge – and the occasional satisfaction of righting a wrong. Like the Beckwatt case.

The previous December, when a serial child molester – Henry Beckwatt – was to be released from prison after serving less than 5 years, the California State Parole Board had refused, in the interest of prisoner rights, to divulge the name of the community in which he would be residing during the term of his parole. Because Beckwatt had beaten some of his victims and expressed no remorse, his pending release raised anxiety levels in parents statewide.

Taking great pains to cover his tracks, Spencer had first gained entry to the Los Angeles Police Department’s computers, stepped from there to the State Attorney General’s system in Sacramento, and from there into the parole board’s computer, where he finessed the address to which Beckwatt would be paroled. Anonymous tips to a few reporters forced the parole board to delay action until a secret new placement could be worked out. During the following 5 weeks, Spencer exposed 3 more addresses for Beckwatt, shortly after each was arranged.

Although officials had been in a frenzy to uncover an imagined snitch within the parole system, no one had wondered, at least not publicly, if the leak had been from their electronic-data files, sprung by a clever hacker. Finally admitting defeat, they paroled Beckwatt to an empty caretaker’s house on the grounds of San Quentin.

In a couple of years, when his period of post-prison supervision ended, Beckwatt would be free to prowl again, and he would surely destroy more children psychologically if not physically. For the time being, however, he was unable to settle into a lair in the middle of a neighbourhood of unsuspecting innocents.

If Spencer could have discovered a way to access God’s computer, he would have tampered with Henry Beckwatt’s destiny by giving him an immediate and mortal stroke or by walking him into the path of a runaway truck. He wouldn’t have hesitated to ensure the justice that modern society, in its Freudian confusion and moral paralysis, found difficult to impose.

He was not a hero, not a scarred and computer-wielding cousin of Batman, not out to save the world.

8.3.12

Speaking

Read the text below. Learn the words in bold.

Speak of the differences between the real life

ways of investigation and those described in detective stories.

Real crime and pseudo crime

In the traditional English detective story, written by someone like Agatha Christie, the crime is nearly always murder. It often takes place in a country house, and the local inspector, who undertakes the investigation, is incapable of solving the case, and needs the help of a private detective. The detective begins by making a series of inquiries and looking for clues. The suspects are usually upper class, and have a motive for killing the victim. The detective eventually resolves the mystery by inviting all those under suspicion to meet. He sets a trap for the murderer, and establishes his guilt by going through the evidence. The murderer obligingly gives himself away, and confesses, providing the proof of the detective’s accusation. The grateful police inspector arrives to make the formal charge and put the murderer under arrest.

In real life, the crime is usually not murder but an offence against property, on a scale ranging from shoplifting through theft to burglary and robbery with violence. Other offences involving money like fraud and forgery, are also much more common than murder. If the case is solved, it is usually because the police receive information that puts them on the track of the criminal or he leaves traces behind him such as fingerprints. Sometimes offering a reward helps to convict someone. But few thieves or robbers confess unless they know they will be found guilty and hope to get a lighter sentence, and the police seldom invite them to a party with other suspects!

8.3.13

Story making

‘Mystery man’. You are detectives working for

the missing persons office in a big city police

headquarters. A man has been found wandering

in the streets, suffering from loss of memory.

Look at the following pieces of evidence and try

to make up a theory about the man – what he

does, where he comes from, etc.

The man looks European; he has a dark complexion and black hair. He is about 40, tall and athletic, but rather overweight.
He is dressed in pink silk pyjamas, made in Bangkok.
When questioned, he only says ‘I can’t remember’, in English but with a strong French accent.
His hands are covered with engine oil.
He has a bag containing the following:

$60,000 in US currency
photographs of three beautiful women: two European-looking, one Oriental
a photograph of the British Minister of Defence
a receipt from a car-hire firm
two love letters: one in English, beginning ‘My Darling Freddy’, and the other in French, beginning ‘Serge, mon amour’
a gun with a number removed
a screwdriver
a silver spoon
one more thing (anything you like)

8.3.14

Writing

Choose one of the following sentences and

write a newspaper article on the topic, using

as many words from this unit as possible.

‘Despite our familiarity with this kind of thing, we were sickened,’ said a police spokesman.
He was banned from driving for two years and fined $1,000.
The victim is recovering in hospital.
They got away with $50,000 in used notes.
The missing paintings were described by the director of the museum as ‘priceless’.