Any sympathy for this woman?

[fork me]

She entered the building that had been ransacked by looters, she didn't casually stroll into the store.

Correct, however, she diidn't force an entry. This puts her crime somewhere between simple theft and breaking and entering.

 

[fork me]

Do you think the punishment the guy who burgled your home got was right?

No, I don't, but it WAS consistent with other similar cases. We have to have consistency in sentencing, we can't just say we're going to up all the sentences for this one particular incidence.

 

[fork me]

As somebody who had to make my way through the early stages of the Manchester riots on my way home from work, it does seem to me that a disproportionate number of the people who have been caught and prosecuted are the naive, stupid and peripheral participants in the trouble.

The people actually doing the damage knew enough to dress non distinctively, hoods up and faces covered. For obvious reasons few of them seem to have been caught (judging from the regular reports in the Manchester Evening News), but I'd much rather the people who smashed their way into the trainer shop in the first place were put away than some silly little girl who wandered in and briefly picked up a pair of trainers.

My opinion as well. The vast majority of the REAL bad guys have got off scott free, so the authorities are scapegoating those that got caught instead. Meaning that the real culprits are still out there knowing they CAN get away with it.

 

[fork me]

This Guardian article was excellent. ALMOST makes you feel sorry for the lil' scrotes.

England riots: the personal cost | UK news | The Guardian

What about Adam, the guy at the bottom of the article, who spent time in prison on remand even though he was nowhere near any riots? All charges were dropped AFTER he had spent a week in prison, and he never got back his phone that the police confiscated when they arrested him. Do you ALMOST feel sorry for him?

 

[chimneys]

That's a view shared by some, a cynical view, but there you go.

However, every one of them who is convicted is guilty of the crimes committed, whether some 'clever' **** who hides his face to attempt not to be caught, or someone who couldn't control themselves and accidently wandered under a smashed up shutter and stole two left shoes. They are all guilty, and they should all be punished. As and when they do catch any of the ‘true perpetrators’ (as opposed to the fake ones??), then perhaps their punishment will be considered by some as even more disproportionate, let’s hope so.

A cynical view in your view perhaps!!

I doubt anyone is arguing she is not guilty, certainly not me, and she most certainly should be punished!

Its the disproportionate length of sentence compared with other similar crimes that I dont agree with. Either make all equivalent crimes 10 months in prison, or none.

As an aside, anyone know what that scumbag who stole from that Malaysian student who had just been mugged/ jaw broken got? Going by her sentencing, and as a crime against the person, should have been at least 10 years.

 

[Husty]

No, the fact that she entered the building or part of the building as a trespasser and then stole makes it a burglary. In theory, if you climbed over the counter of a shop and stole the handbag of a member of staff from under the till, you *could* be guilty of burglary as you do not have permission, express or implied, to be in that part of a shop, therefore are trespassing.

Going back to the individual this thread is about, I don't care even if the shop window in this case was wide open and already caved in (although the fact she had to make the physical effort to crawl under the shutter indicates a degree of awareness/pre-meditation as opposed to just opportunism). This young lady had no right to be in there, but decided her own needs were greater than those of anyone else, and society as a whole, and stole a pair of trainers. Then lied about it when confronted, so, more dishonesty.

If I left my front door unlocked by mistake, does it make it any more acceptable for someone to walk in and burgle my place than if they had to smash a window or jemmy open the door? No, no it doesn't, it's stealing and it's wrong.

This girl is, as things stand, a proven thief and a liar. And one who clearly has little remorse, other than for the fact she got caught. She may not prove to be a lifetime miscreant, hopefully not, and I'm sure her planned career hasn't gone up in smoke anyway, because a single conviction isn't a bar to serving in the armed forces...if that really is what she wants to do as opposed to something she made up to convince the court she was a fine upstanding citizen.

So overall, she hasn't lost much. She won't serve the sentence she's been given (so it appears), she won't be denied the career, and all she has is a lone conviction for acting like a brainless sheep and selfishly using the riots to see what she could get.

My sympathy level still remains at zero.

She never actually stole anything though? The Guardian article clearly says that the CCTV footage shows her walk into the shop, pick up the shoes, put them down outside and walk off? I mean really? How would you be feeling if your (future?) children got 10months in prison for that? The attitudes on this thread are hilarious to a tee.

 

[Woodchip]

She never actually stole anything though? The Guardian article clearly says that the CCTV footage shows her walk into the shop, pick up the shoes, put them down outside and walk off? I mean really? How would you be feeling if your (future?) children got 10months in prison for that? The attitudes on this thread are hilarious to a tee.

She removed something that did not belong to her from a premises that was not hers. Wether she put it down 2 yards away, or 1000 Miles away is irrelevant as she took unlawful possession of belongs of her own accord.

Simply put, she is a burglar, or as it was during a riot, she is a looter. Either should feel the full force of the law. Sadly it often doesn't.

Sent by yolk folk

 

[chimneys]

To the hang her high brigade- do you honestly think what that girl did deserved twice as long a prison sentence as the woman who has this evening been given a just over 5 months' sentence for microwaving her friend's kitten because her friend had reported her abusive former partner to the police?

That's just under double the sentence for pilfering a non pair of trainers, compared with killing a friend's cherished kitten. I know who I think is the bigger danger to society (if she gets angry again could be a child next time!) and therefore needs the longer period of punishment/rehabilitation.

 

[Acker79]

To the hang her high brigade- do you honestly think what that girl did deserved twice as long a prison sentence as the woman who has this evening been given a just over 5 months' sentence for microwaving her friend's kitten because her friend had reported her abusive former partner to the police?

That's just under double the sentence for pilfering a non pair of trainers, compared with killing a friend's cherished kitten. I know who I think is the bigger danger to society (if she gets angry again could be a child next time!) and therefore needs the longer period of punishment/rehabilitation.

Again, why do people hold up this conviction to softer ones as if the softer ones are right?

I don't know if I feel this girl deserves 10 months or not, but pointing to ridiculously soft sentences for other crimes doesn't make this sentence any worse. The woman who microwaved the kitten should have got a harsher sentence, and protective measure should be taken for anyone in her care. The guy who broke in to the other poster's home should have had a stricter sentence.

I'd like consistency in sentencing, but I'd also like sentences to be right and fair. Just because some other sentences were soft, doesn't mean all sentences should be soft just for the sake of consistency, when a harsher sentence is due (and I point back to my last paragraph on whether the 10 months is due in this case).

 

[chimneys]

Again, why do people hold up this conviction to softer ones as if the softer ones are right?

I don't know if I feel this girl deserves 10 months or not, but pointing to ridiculously soft sentences for other crimes doesn't make this sentence any worse. The woman who microwaved the kitten should have got a harsher sentence, and protective measure should be taken for anyone in her care. The guy who broke in to the other poster's home should have had a stricter sentence.

I'd like consistency in sentencing, but I'd also like sentences to be right and fair. Just because some other sentences were soft, doesn't mean all sentences should be soft just for the sake of consistency, when a harsher sentence is due (and I point back to my last paragraph on whether the 10 months is due in this case).

It merely shows what a farce and how politically motivated the judiciary is!!

For the record, were I judge/jury I would have given thief girl 2 months (4 weeks inside plenty as short, sharp shock all she ever needed and a big enough deterrent to those who would be deterred by the thought of prison), and kitten killer 5 years.

 

[Superphil]

It merely shows what a farce and how politically motivated the judiciary is!!

For the record, were I judge/jury I would have given thief girl 2 months (4 weeks inside plenty as short, sharp shock all she ever needed and a big enough deterrent to those who would be deterred by the thought of prison), and kitten killer 5 years.

So we know what you believe is politically motivated, what motivates you to think the kitten killer should get five years?

For what it's worth, I agree with five years for the kitten killer, really cannot bear cruelty to helpless animals. In reality I doubt it will never be considered a bad enough crime to warrant such a punishment. As for the looter, as explained by the judge, he gave the minimum sentence he could whilst retaining his public obligation. He may well have thought it excessive too in the circumstance, but he had to abide by the requirements of his public responsibility.

 

[8ace]

Would people's opinions be different if this was a black man

 

[Woodchip]

Would people's opinions be different if this was a black man

Yeah. He should have got away Scot free. WTF?!?!

Sent by yolk folk

 

[Westdene Seagull]

What about Adam, the guy at the bottom of the article, who spent time in prison on remand even though he was nowhere near any riots? All charges were dropped AFTER he had spent a week in prison, and he never got back his phone that the police confiscated when they arrested him. Do you ALMOST feel sorry for him?

I have to say, assuming what is in the article is true, the police behaved in an appalling manner. As did the system - how on earth can it be right for someone who has done nothing to be locked up for a WEEK ? As for the police stealing his belongings, well, it does make you wonder about the mindset of the police when they are given extra powers.

The spokesman from Wandsworth Council is also a complete dickhead - I thought mass punishment was banned under Human Rights ? How can it be right for the mother to be evicted ? Sounds very much like the Nazis to me.

 

[xenophon]