A family has reacted with horror and disbelief after a gang of teenage thugs who subjected an autistic boy to a terrifying three-day ‘torture’ ordeal walked free from court.
The gang used a mobile phone to film themselves carrying out depraved assaults on their 17-year-old victim.
During a sickening spree of violence the three thugs kicked and stamped on his head, repeatedly punched him in the chest, beat him with a tennis racket and then threw him down a steep embankment.
The terrified teenager – who suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism – was also pelted with dog mess, had his limbs scratched with sandpaper and was forced to drink vodka and gin until he passed out.
Mobile phone footage showed the yobs laughing and joking as they made him endure other abuse and, in a final humiliating assault, they applied adhesive tape to his genital area before ripping the tape off.
But Jack Bolton, Andrew Griffin, and Nathan Marshall, all 18, walked free from court.
Judge Jonathan Geake imposed three-month curfews on them and ordered them to carry out 80 hours’ unpaid community work as ‘an intensive alternative to custody’. He also ordered them to be supervised by probation officers for 12 months.
Last night the teenager’s family, senior police officers and an MP branded the sentence ‘a joke’ and called for it to be reviewed.
His aunt, with whom he lived, said: ‘The things that these boys did to him were awful and disgusting. In my book they could have killed him and need to be jailed. The sentence is a joke. I can’t believe they have got off so lightly.’
She said the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, quit college and moved to a different part of the UK to rebuild his life.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z126R1fxiU
Justice?
Justice?
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: Justice?
How some judges and magistrates apply law astounds me. Not just in the UK, but here also.
Bah!
Re: Justice?
Disgusting.
I'd like to sentence the judge to receive three days of that sort of treatment, and then see what he thinks an appropriate sentence should be....
I'd like to sentence the judge to receive three days of that sort of treatment, and then see what he thinks an appropriate sentence should be....
Re: Justice?
I can't imagine what prompted the judge to give so light a sentence here; but then, what do you expect from a guy named Geake.
On the serious side, these seem to be pretty serious offense against a young man who wouldn't/couldn't defend himself against the assaults, and is likely to remain scarred for life by them. Not imposing a jail term for this sort of assault seems unconscionable.
On the serious side, these seem to be pretty serious offense against a young man who wouldn't/couldn't defend himself against the assaults, and is likely to remain scarred for life by them. Not imposing a jail term for this sort of assault seems unconscionable.
Re: Justice?
It looks to me like we're talking about kidnapping, false imprisonment, and dozens of counts of assault...(I don't know if there would be a separate law on the books for "torture" but if so, it would certainly apply)
On top of that, these budding super collider designers were apparently so pleased with themselves, that they helpfully videotaped the whole thing, providing ironclad evidence of their crimes....
And this "Judge" apparently sees this as some sort of youthful hijinks...
It's very unfortunate when a person with so little empathy for the suffering of others occupies a position like this....
I'd have given them a minimum of three years in prison.....
Hopefully they would have made lots of friends who had as much regard for them as they did for their victim....
Might have taught them a valuable life lesson about the wisdom of respecting the rights of others....
On top of that, these budding super collider designers were apparently so pleased with themselves, that they helpfully videotaped the whole thing, providing ironclad evidence of their crimes....
And this "Judge" apparently sees this as some sort of youthful hijinks...
It's very unfortunate when a person with so little empathy for the suffering of others occupies a position like this....
I'd have given them a minimum of three years in prison.....
Hopefully they would have made lots of friends who had as much regard for them as they did for their victim....
Might have taught them a valuable life lesson about the wisdom of respecting the rights of others....
Re: Justice?
Can someone buy the judge a dictionary, and highlight the words "intensive" and "custody" in it please.Judge Jonathan Geake imposed three-month curfews on them and ordered them to carry out 80 hours’ unpaid community work as ‘an intensive alternative to custody’.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: Justice?
I wouldn't be so quick to judge (pun intended)...
My cousin is a Judge in the UK and a couple of years ago had this case. He was slated in the media at the time but I know how much he wanted to give the twat a longer sentence (being the father of two boys himself). Unfortunately the sentence he handed down was the maximum he was allowed to give by his superiors. Judges don't always have the power to impose the sentence they want. Sometimes their hands are tied...
My cousin is a Judge in the UK and a couple of years ago had this case. He was slated in the media at the time but I know how much he wanted to give the twat a longer sentence (being the father of two boys himself). Unfortunately the sentence he handed down was the maximum he was allowed to give by his superiors. Judges don't always have the power to impose the sentence they want. Sometimes their hands are tied...
Why is it that when Miley Cyrus gets naked and licks a hammer it's 'art' and 'edgy' but when I do it I'm 'drunk' and 'banned from the hardware store'?
Re: Justice?
Ah ha! It's his fault!!
I know Scoot, I know, it's only the Mail..Thousands of career criminals are being spared jail despite having amassed at least 50 convictions.
Almost 2,700 were handed a community sentence after being found guilty more than 50 times before.
Incredibly, 315 offenders even received a non-custodial punishment after 100 or more previous offences.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z12OCxhLYt
A Foreign criminal who has cost the taxpayer at least £500,000 in an extraordinary deportation farce will pocket a huge payout for compensation, it emerged last night.
Since arriving in Britain claiming asylum, aged 15, the Somalian has been jailed for more than a dozen crimes – including violence, burglary and robbery. He has spent around 100 months in custody – at a cost to the public of more than £300,000.
The man, who has been receiving legal aid throughout his criminal career, re-offended within days or weeks every time he was released.
He was first told he was being considered for deportation in 2001, but due to the immigration farce which the last Government presided over, officials failed to kick him out.
From 2004, when his last jail sentence was completed, to 2007, he was held in an immigration detention centre – at a cost of around £40,000 a year, to stop him fleeing. Now judges have decided that – for two months of that period – he was being held ‘illegally’. Known only as MH, he will receive a compensation payout which, in other similar cases, has averaged £16,000.
He had wanted more and appealed the case through the court system, assisted by legal aid. He is still in Britain and, given anybody facing removal to Somalia can claim their human rights will be breached, there is no guarantee he will ever be removed.
His various court cases are believed to have cost £200,000.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z12OE0DJfV
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: Justice?
I am never ever, never-ever-ever, going to the UK. You can't eat there; you can't work there and you can't defend yourself there.
If I whacked this guy with my purse, I'd probably be charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to bruise a refugee, and sentenced to the oubliette.
What's with the British love of Somalians!?
If I whacked this guy with my purse, I'd probably be charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to bruise a refugee, and sentenced to the oubliette.
What's with the British love of Somalians!?
Re: Justice?
Perhaps in their next crime , which I have little doubt there weil be, they will video as well and then some other judge will have a crack at putting them in a more interesting situation than community service.
I expect to go straight to hell...........at least I won't have to spend time making new friends.
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oldr_n_wsr
- Posts: 10838
- Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2010 1:59 am
Re: Justice?
But if you play your cards right, you can get the gov to pay for a boob job, tummy tuck and lipo.I am never ever, never-ever-ever, going to the UK. You can't eat there; you can't work there and you can't defend yourself there.
Re: Justice?
Another prime example of UK "Justice"
Believe me, if that had been the Hatch, first the attacker would have had hell visited on him, then the magistrate would have a brick in the face.A THUG who scarred a pretty athlete tipped to represent England for life by throwing a brick at her face has walked free from court - after being fined just £200.
Runner Samantha Sadler, 17, had been a back-seat passenger in a Nissan Micra when her attacker struck.
The 14-year-old yob threw a brick through the car's window and into her face, leaving her with a fractured skull, broken nose and fractured eye socket.
Samantha, who ran for Cheshire but had also been a model for top fashion names, still has double vision eight months on and is now facing further surgery.
Her attacker, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted assault and was given a 12-month referral order and was fined £200 by JPs at Halton, in Runcorn, Cheshire.
Outside court she said: "I was petrified. My eyes shut straightaway. All I could see was blood. I thought I'd never be able to do my heptathlon again.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ne ... &ATTR=News
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: Justice?
It's no wonder these thugs get such light sentences. If you ever watch Law and Order UK, it is a wonder they bother to build prisons in England the prosecution is so weak. In the UK, can't the injured sue the hell out of the perpetrator and family in civil court? Guess if the bad guys have no assets, it doesn't matter much, but that his how justice was served on O.J. Simpson, to the extent any justice was visited.
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oldr_n_wsr
- Posts: 10838
- Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2010 1:59 am
Re: Justice?
Not to side with the thug or the judge (as I am in Gob's camp when it comes to me and mine) but he is a minor and minors are usually given lighter sentences.
Re: Justice?
You're right oldr; the article said the offender also had a referral order. I looked it up, and found the following description:
As of April 2002, Courts in England and Wales now have a new disposal option for young offenders pleading guilty or convicted of first offenses. Originally set forth in the 1999 Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act, the referral order scheme underwent an 18-month evaluation of 11 pilot projects between March 2000 and August 2001.
The referral order is an attempt to integrate restorative justice values (as defined by the Home office) into the youth justice system. These values include:
Responsibility—holding young people accountable for their actions and encouraging more responsible future behavior.
Restoration (reparation)- exploring possibilities for making amends to victims or the community.
Re-integration- providing support to help young people to become law-abiding adults.
The referral order sends the young offender to a Youth Offender Panel that consists of two community members and one representative of the Youth Offending Team. The panel holds a meeting which may include the offender, the offender's parents, a support for the offender and the victim and a victim supporter to discuss the crime and work on a solution. The panel:
Confronts the young offender with the impact of his crime in an attempt to prevent re-offending.
Provides a forum for involved parties to discuss the circumstances leading up to the offense.
Develops a plan of action addressing reparation and the issues behind the offending behavior.
In an overview of the work (done before the orders went into effect) of the youth offender team , Mick Cundy, a referral order officer, provides the following statistics:
60% successful completion of orders.
69% successful completion of bail.
22% no re-offending within a year.
73% less serious offending.
30% increase in educational engagement.
9% reduction in number offending.
90% of parents satisfied.
Evidence of victim empowerment
The evaluation of the pilot projects interviewed different groups involved in the referral process. It assessed the attitudes of court personnel, the community participants, the young people, their families, and the victims as well as the opinions of Youth Offender Panel participants. The study also evaluated procedural issues and made suggestions for improvement.
What it looks like here is that the offender pleaded guilty and showed some sort of remorse; it is also likely that the victim participated in the discussion of what sort of punishment would be appropriate. In some ways it is akin to PTI (pre trial intervention) or some other sort of non judicial referral for youthful offenders who are charged for the first time with a crime and show some likelihood of benefitting from the program. If the victim also participated, my guess is that it was felt that the kid committed a stupid act (perhaps randomly throwing rocks at passing cars without thinking through the consequences), and it was felt he could learn from a bit of mercy and guidance. I'd feel the same way as Gob (and the dad quoted) if it were my daughter, but if the boy were my son I'd like him to be given a chance at redeeming himself rather than ruining his life. That is, after all, why we have juvenile justice systems.
As of April 2002, Courts in England and Wales now have a new disposal option for young offenders pleading guilty or convicted of first offenses. Originally set forth in the 1999 Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act, the referral order scheme underwent an 18-month evaluation of 11 pilot projects between March 2000 and August 2001.
The referral order is an attempt to integrate restorative justice values (as defined by the Home office) into the youth justice system. These values include:
Responsibility—holding young people accountable for their actions and encouraging more responsible future behavior.
Restoration (reparation)- exploring possibilities for making amends to victims or the community.
Re-integration- providing support to help young people to become law-abiding adults.
The referral order sends the young offender to a Youth Offender Panel that consists of two community members and one representative of the Youth Offending Team. The panel holds a meeting which may include the offender, the offender's parents, a support for the offender and the victim and a victim supporter to discuss the crime and work on a solution. The panel:
Confronts the young offender with the impact of his crime in an attempt to prevent re-offending.
Provides a forum for involved parties to discuss the circumstances leading up to the offense.
Develops a plan of action addressing reparation and the issues behind the offending behavior.
In an overview of the work (done before the orders went into effect) of the youth offender team , Mick Cundy, a referral order officer, provides the following statistics:
60% successful completion of orders.
69% successful completion of bail.
22% no re-offending within a year.
73% less serious offending.
30% increase in educational engagement.
9% reduction in number offending.
90% of parents satisfied.
Evidence of victim empowerment
The evaluation of the pilot projects interviewed different groups involved in the referral process. It assessed the attitudes of court personnel, the community participants, the young people, their families, and the victims as well as the opinions of Youth Offender Panel participants. The study also evaluated procedural issues and made suggestions for improvement.
What it looks like here is that the offender pleaded guilty and showed some sort of remorse; it is also likely that the victim participated in the discussion of what sort of punishment would be appropriate. In some ways it is akin to PTI (pre trial intervention) or some other sort of non judicial referral for youthful offenders who are charged for the first time with a crime and show some likelihood of benefitting from the program. If the victim also participated, my guess is that it was felt that the kid committed a stupid act (perhaps randomly throwing rocks at passing cars without thinking through the consequences), and it was felt he could learn from a bit of mercy and guidance. I'd feel the same way as Gob (and the dad quoted) if it were my daughter, but if the boy were my son I'd like him to be given a chance at redeeming himself rather than ruining his life. That is, after all, why we have juvenile justice systems.
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oldr_n_wsr
- Posts: 10838
- Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2010 1:59 am
Re: Justice?
We had a similar incident here on Long Island (not far from my house) where some kids went and bought a frozen turkey (IIRC with a stolen credit card) and launched the turkey from their moving car into the oncoming lane which nailed some some lady driving the other way. I remember the hue and cry about "nailing him to the wall" and such. This lady was messed up more than this girl was (judging from the pictures) and I am not making light this girls injuries Multiple surgeries over the years. In the end, at his trial, this lady was the one who asked the judge for mercy on the kid. Seems they developed some kind of bond through his stupidity and she got him on a much better track in his life.
There is something to rehab rather than lock down especially when they are young. Of course there are those that never respond, but until you try, you never know.
There is something to rehab rather than lock down especially when they are young. Of course there are those that never respond, but until you try, you never know.
Re: Justice?
Simon Cremer, 47, took Mark Gilbert, 40, to the police station after discovering he had written out a company cheque to himself and taken it to Cash Converters in October 2008.
Gilbert was paraded through the streets of Witham in Essex with a cardboard sign which read: "Thief. I stole £845 am on my way to the police station."
He admitted the crime to police and was let off with a caution but Mr Cremer was charged with false imprisonment before the case against him collapsed in December 2008.
Now Mr Cremer, who runs a flooring firm, has paid £5,000 in compensation and £8,000 in court costs to the worker who stole from him.
He said: "I think it's absolutely disgusting that he was even able to sue me after he had stolen from me to be honest. I don't want to give him a penny after what he did, so it really sticks in my throat.
He stole from me yet he is the one who is walking away with the money. It makes me so angry."
Gilbert, a floor fitter, claimed for two years' lost earnings and the "distress" he suffered after being walked through the town.
He claimed he needed psychological help after the incident. The case was due to come before a civil court on Monday but father-of-two Mr Cremer said he could not risk the expense involved.
He settled out of court because he said it would cost him more than that to fight the case in legal bills. He also had to pay Gilbert's legal costs leaving him with an £8,000 legal bill for the case.
Mr Cremer, who lives in Little Maplestead, Essex, with his partner Karen Boardman, 45, who has been battling breast cancer, said: "It would have cost me £25,000 just to go to court, so I had no option but to settle out of court. I could not afford to take it to court, so there was no other option.
"It would financially ruin me, it would break me. I would lose my business and I would risk losing my home because I would have to remortgage it."
Gilbert, formerly of Colchester, Essex, has since moved away from the area and is believed to be living in Bristol.
He admitted writing the cheque to himself and cashing it in claiming he was owed wages that he wanted to use for a holiday and his boss was too busy to write it himself.
He said: "I feel for the bloke, I respect the bloke but I want him to pay for what he's done.
"I went in my local pub and felt a cold shoulder. I wanted to face people, to deal with it face on. I think this is going to have a long-term effect.
"I probably deserved it for what I did, fair enough but I wasn't stealing from him and I paid the money back."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... loyee.html
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”