Was this right or wrong?

[Globalti]

What does the CC moral panel think about this? It has been preying on my mind now for months and I can't work out the rights and wrongs.

As briefly and accurately as possible: a schizophrenic man in his 70s was living happily in our street bothering nobody and keeping fit and active by walking, cycling and poaching the odd fish from local reservoirs. Over the years the local fly fishing association tried five times to bring a civil action against him but failed. On the sixth attempt they succeeded and (as I understand it) they were awarded £50,000. Bailiffs moved in to take possession of his cottage and he, unable to accept what was happening, threw a bit of a wobbler. Police arrested him for contravening terms of probation from previous offences and he was remanded in prison for six months. His house was sold and all his possessions thrown in a skip by the new owner who found the house to be in a filthy condition, damp and unheated. He is now Sectioned and living in a secure home in Blackpool, drugged, subdued, overweight and depressed according to one neighbour, a former Police officer who has visited him.

Has society done him a massive injustice and cast him aside because he doesn't fit?

Has society done him a favour by putting him into warm, dry accommodation with company and medical care when needed, even though he has been chemically "coshed"?

 

[YahudaMoon]

Tottaly wrong though maybe you have missed some part of the story ?​

​

Wh grts awarded £50.000 for a few lost / stolen fish stock from a club ? ​

 

[fossyant]

The system has failed him certainly - the bloody fish folk need a good slapping with a wet 'roach' - what harm was he doing ? Letter to the Fly fishing association ?

 

[marinyork]

Has society done him a massive injustice and cast him aside because he doesn't fit?

Pretty much by the sounds of it.

 

[Globalti]

He has been poaching and beating them in court and they have been out for revenge for many many years. There is history going back to the time of his father, who was a gamekeeper. Still doesn't warrant £50,000 though in my book.

 

[postman]

A terrible wrong.What fish cost £50,000----Goldfish.

What was the the gentlemans name.----"Don't tell him Pike".

 

[asterix]

He took the fish to eat them himself? Anyway, so much for 'care in the community'!

 

[Globalti]

As far as I know he only took for himself. He gave me a trout once because we were the only people in the street who ever spoke to him. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I seem to be allergic to something in trout and it upsets my stomach, so I gave it to my neighbour who loves fish.

 

[postman]

Where was this mans help when he needed it.This is shocking.And i hope my little jest has not been taken wrongly.How can a Fishing Club do that to him.He has lost his home for a few crappy fish.Beggars belief.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Any sporting fisher would have, er, let him off the hook, sent him back to his damp home and then begun harassing him for sport again the next time he comes out for food. But no, the fish get treated better than your ex-neighbour.

 

[Globalti]

Various neighbours tried to help him at different times in his life but thanks to his illness he was never able to understand his situation and he continued to aggravate the fishing association. Don't forget that fly fishing is a sport often enjoyed by people with good connections. The police were glad to see him sorted out because they were frightened of him thanks to an incident with a shotgun about 30 years ago.

 

[marinyork]

This sort of outcome reminds me of the far harsher medieval or pre-Peelite justice system we used to have for this sort of thing. Not something in 2011.

 

[rich p]

If I may be so bold, which bit did you think may have been right after your several months deliberation?

 

[coffeejo]

Society's attitudes towards mental health hasn't progressed very far over the centuries.

 

[accountantpete]

And now it's costing the taxpayer £50,000 a year to look after him presumably.