Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Burglar who called judge 'cowardly b***h' receives extra jail time

Court gets the last word despite outburst

Jon Sharman
Thursday 01 December 2016 17:15 GMT
Comments
Steven Burns was sentenced to 70 years and 180 days' prison
Steven Burns was sentenced to 70 years and 180 days' prison (WLFI)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

An armed burglar was told he would serve extra prison time after he called a judge a "cowardly b***h".

Steven Burns, 25, was part of a trio who beat and robbed an elderly couple in their home in Lafayette, Indiana.

The gang threatened the homeowners, hit the 76-year-old husband in the head with a gun and escaped with credit cards, cash and valuable items, WLFI reported.

The items, including a watch and a ring, were later recovered after a standoff with police.

Burns was found guilty in November on 14 of 15 counts relating to the burglary and was sentenced to 70 years in prison on Tuesday.

But his venomous outburst to Tippecanoe County's Judge Steven Meyer earned him an extra 180 days behind bars for contempt of court.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in