Abusive and Threatening motorist convicted and sentenced

[col]

If I were a dictator I'd ensure that grammar and syntax were taught at every school in the land.

If I were a dictator Id have all pedants flogged with cobwebs

 

[VamP]

Another write up http://www.ukcyclesport.com/index.p...met-cam-conviction-success&catid=82&Itemid=82

One wonders if this would have got anywhere if the cammer was not a QC and the prosecutor a cyclist. Still, I am glad of the precedent.

 

[dawesome]

There's going to be a television documentary featuring this footage and others.

 

[benb]

I'd hope that cops are always disinterested, but never uninterested! (Link)

I was going to say that!

 

[dawesome]

Disinclined to act, then.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Hurrah! The cops were undisinterested at first IIRC.

FTYF - and that uninterest is shameful and far too frequent an occurrence.

 

[ColinJ]

In my rush to be the first smart arse to point out the un/dis mistake, I forgot to comment on the important matter which is that the system fails to do the right thing in many of these cases, and yes, it is shameful!

 

[Bicycle]

If I were a dictator Id have all pedants flogged with cobwebs

Not until you'd inserted all the necessary apostrophes, I trust.

 

[BentMikey]

Looking at other posts on this very forum, there are plenty of spare ones around.

 

[Hip Priest]

Seen like a right nasty little egotist. Glad he got his comeuppance.

 

[CopperCyclist]

In ten years, I have only seen a 'suspended' prison sentence invoked once, and that was for a serious offence. We complain about this all the time, my cynical view is its a way for the courts to get 'a result' without adding to the prison population.

 

[benb]

In ten years, I have only seen a 'suspended' prison sentence invoked once, and that was for a serious offence. We complain about this all the time, my cynical view is its a way for the courts to get 'a result' without adding to the prison population.

I don't think that's cynical at all, but realistic. Prisons are rather overcrowded, and I personally think that judges have been too keen to hand down custodial sentences for offences where community work would probably be more constructive and effective. Prisons are, for the most part, an expensive way of turning a petty criminal into a hardened one.

What purpose does prison serve? It's clearly not a deterrant (but nothing is, as no-one thinks they'll get caught).
IMO, it should be used to protect the public from dangerous people (particularly violent criminals) and to punish people for serious offences (not necessarily violent - large scale fraud for example). It should be a last resort rather than a first, and the whole focus of prison should be rehabilitation and the reduction of reoffending. It doesn't matter if they've got TV and other "soft" facilities. The loss of liberty is the punishment; everything else should be geared towards returning them as useful members of society.

So, I don't think the suspended sentence should necessarily have been invoked in this case - I don't know enough to form an opinion on that.

Having said all of that, if someone is a persistent danger behind the wheel, they need a lifetime driving ban. This is something the courts hardly ever consider, as far as I can tell.

Sorry for the loser length post and the derail!

 

[Dave Davenport]

Regardless of whether he was returned to court re. the suspended sentence, you'd sort of assume that the fact he was on one would have made the police minded to charge him at the outset. Unfortunately, I'm not surprised they weren't.

 

[Arjimlad]

Quel knob, as I am wont to say on such occasions. And well done to Mr Porter for pushing it through. I wish we all had the time & contacts to do so.

 

[Hip Priest]

I don't think that's cynical at all, but realistic. Prisons are rather overcrowded, and I personally think that judges have been too keen to hand down custodial sentences for offences where community work would probably be more constructive and effective. Prisons are, for the most part, an expensive way of turning a petty criminal into a hardened one.

What purpose does prison serve? It's clearly not a deterrant (but nothing is, as no-one thinks they'll get caught).
IMO, it should be used to protect the public from dangerous people (particularly violent criminals) and to punish people for serious offences (not necessarily violent - large scale fraud for example). It should be a last resort rather than a first, and the whole focus of prison should be rehabilitation and the reduction of reoffending. It doesn't matter if they've got TV and other "soft" facilities. The loss of liberty is the punishment; everything else should be geared towards returning them as useful members of society.

So, I don't think the suspended sentence should necessarily have been invoked in this case - I don't know enough to form an opinion on that.

Having said all of that, if someone is a persistent danger behind the wheel, they need a lifetime driving ban. This is something the courts hardly ever consider, as far as I can tell.

Sorry for the loser length post and the derail!

If there were any justice in this world there'd be more prisoners, not fewer.