A drunken oaf who assaulted a footballer in full view of TV cameras and thousands of witnesses was weighed off today, in a hearing that took place with exemplary speed. By pleading guilty (not that he would have got very far by denying it) he saved himself two months off the six months' maximum.
To some extent he was lucky, because such an act in the volatile atmosphere of a packed football crowd could lead to widespread mayhem.
Several cans of lager.
ReplyDelete750ml of vodka.
Ten pints of cider.
In a way, I'm slightly in awe of the chap. I don't think I'd be able to find my way onto the pitch in order to assault someone in that state! Must have been one hell of a hangover he woke up with in the cells.
He's unemployed, goes to every home and away game, and drinks like a fish. I don't know how he does it on unemployment benefit.
DeleteCash foreigners and/or some form of criminality, I shouldn't wonder.
DeleteThat or he lives with his parents and claims the dole so has no outgoings to speak of, a lot of older people are living with parents these days so no bills etc.
DeleteIf curious, here's what my money looked like last time I was on the dole:
60/week in (it may be slightly more now), 15 out electric, 10 out gas, 15 food, leaving me with the princely sum of 20 pounds for anything else (clothes, tobacco etc.), a season ticket would be out of the question on that, never mind the alcohol.
So aye, I'd say cash in hand work, burglary etc. or living with parents.
I think I can more-or-less guarantee that there will be a team of people at the deft's local JobCentre asking some very similar questions.
DeleteWhen he is once more a free man, I would expect him to find a summons of a rather different nature on his doormat - this time to a "means interview" at the local DWP Fraud Investigation Unit.
of course, it's possible that his season ticket was a gift from family.
DeleteBegs the question what the hell he was doing in the ground in the first place as entering a designated ground whilst drunk is a criminal offence. Should never have got past the turnstiles
ReplyDeleteMaybe he just breathed on the officials and they passed out from the fumes thereby allowing him access.
DeleteIt's probably worth noting that sentence took account of the fact that he had breached two previous banning orders.
ReplyDeleteI have read this phrase many times before without knowing where it comes from, so I have to ask,where does weighed off come from.
ReplyDeleteJohn Gibson
I'd guess Daniel 5:25 or thereabout
Delete"Thou art weighed in the balance and art found wanting."
As is pretty clear from the context, it's a slang term meaning "sentenced to a term of imprisonment", but I'm afraid I can't help with the origins of the phrase. You could pose the question to Michael Quinion on the wonderful World Wide Words website. It has got me thinking too, but so far to no avail!
ReplyDeleteEric Partridge has it used in this sense since about 1920, but offers no explanation. He adds that the phrase was known a bit earlier (from circa 1910 on) in the services to mean being hauled in front of an officer and punished, but again is unable to posit any origin.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if those who felt that Trenton Oldfield's boat race disrution sentence was disproportionate to the offence feel the same way about this one? Same scenario - disrupting sport in front of live and TV spectators, but with the added element of an actual assault, fuelled by alcohol, and previous. Oldfield may have been sober with no previous, but he risked causing more injury (or worse) had boats capsized or collided.
ReplyDeleteAh, but football is the game of the people innit, while the Boat Race is just a load of toffs having fun...*Sarcasm Klaxon*
DeleteIt is never easy to compare sentences for offence X with sentences for offence Y. Application of the custody threshold (CJA 2003 s152) results in this assault being definitely in the custody bracket and the sentence is not disproportionate.
DeleteOldfield disproportionately heavy, this one too light. There is a clear assault, plus about 7 different offences (drunk, various bans / court orders repeatedly ignored, entering the pitch, etc., plus all his previous). Would have thought the guidelines could have manufactured at least two christmases in clink.
DeleteOED quotes 1925 as the first written attribution:
ReplyDeleteto weigh off : to punish; to convict or sentence. slang (orig. Mil.). Now chiefly Criminals'.
1925 E. Fraser & J. Gibbons Soldier & Sailor Words 301 Weighed off, to be, to be brought up before an officer and punished.
I think the term implies usage of the Scales of Justice.
ReplyDeleteWas it imposed by a bench (I do hope so) or another one felt to be too much in the public eye and hence left to a DJ?
ReplyDeleteDJ Naomi Redhouse. I know how much of a surprise that will be to you.
DeleteAbsolutely Also.
DeleteMy gob has been truly smacked!
Dealt with by a District Judge - no surprise there, is there?
DeleteA case for the ancient common law writ de clave sanguinari abiacienda.
ReplyDeleteFor those not fortunate enough to have enjoyed the pleasures of a classical education: Throw the bloody key away.
I remember at the time when his name was starting to be bandied about twitter and there was a link to facebook. His FB account was open to the public and I nosely went through hos photos and he had heaps of photos of cash and you could count the bundles and was on average around 1.5k. He also had a before and after photos of accumulators with a £50 stake and these were the result of hios winnings. To be able to goto these games and I goto Arsenal most games you need circa £150 per game. I cannot see how he can put £50 on all these bes and all the photos and also it is not all that common you win from the bookies so he deffo had a job on the side or something as his JSA or whatever would not have accounted for his continual betting nor his attendance at football
ReplyDelete