A BUSINESSMAN owed more than £5,000 in compensation after thieves stole fish from his shop is still waiting for his money four months after thieves were ordered to pay it.

Marine life worth £9,000, corals and equipment were stolen from Maidenhead Aquatics at the Wyvale Garden Centre on the A34 at South Hinksey, Oxford, in September 2008.

On January 5 this year, Robert Southam, 56, and his son-in-law Scott Anderson, 26, both from Mold Crescent, Banbury, were jailed at Oxford Crown Court for 40 weeks and 42 weeks respectively.

Southam was ordered to pay Maidenhead Aquatics, £3,295 compensation and Anderson told to pay £1,855 within 21 days.

Shop owner David Rose, who was praised by police his role in tracking down the thieves using his CCTV and bringing them to justice, said he was “disgusted” at not receiving a penny after so long.

He said he had repeatedly called the payments office at Oxford Magistrates’ Court, including four times in the past month and twice in February, but had still not received any money.

Last night, a spokesman for Her Majesty’s Court Service (HMCS) said the Government realised not all compensation was paid to victims and was exploring new ways to improve the system.

Mr Rose, 30, said he was initially told by court staff that the paperwork took more than 21 days to organise and would have to wait.

After four weeks, he called back to ask for a progress update but said his query was not dealt with and his calls not returned. He was told to submit his request for compensation in writing, but is still waiting.

Mr Rose said: “Crime pays but criminals don’t. We have had to cover the cost of the loss of the livestock for the last two years. Now they have been sentenced, they haven’t ensured that the sentence has been carried out properly and they have been let out more than half their time early.

“I’m disgusted with the whole system, it seems ridiculous. The courts don’t seem to do anything. They need to go and round them up and put them back in jail again. They should suffer the consequences.

“It shouldn’t be for me to chase people. I don’t anticipate that they still have the money. They will probably have spent it.”

HMCS spokeswoman Zoe Campbell confirmed both defendants were given 21 days to make their payments.

She said: “We are very tough on offenders who fail to pay and pursue them vigorously.

“The vast majority of fines are paid.

“However, the Government recognises that not all compensation is paid to the victim’s satisfaction. That’s why we are currently exploring ways to improve the system.

“HM Courts Service uses all means at their disposal to trace those who do not pay.”

She said the court service can order money to be taken from offenders’ earnings and if they are unemployed, it can be taken from certain state benefits.

It can also instruct bailiffs to seize and sell goods belonging to the offender up to the value of the compensation order and ultimately the offender can be imprisoned for not paying.