Musings and Snippets from a recently retired JP. I served for 31 years, mostly in west London. I was Chairman of my Bench for some years, and a member of the National Bench Chairmen's Forum All cases are based on real ones, but anonymised and composited. All opinions are those of one or more individuals. JPs swear to enforce the law of the land, whether or not they approve of it. Nothing on here constitutes legal advice.
Monday, January 07, 2013
Seriously Stupid
As stupid offenders go, this one deserves some sort of prize.
It's almost a shame to lock him up, but one must encourager les autres, mustn't one?
Mind bogglingly stupid. Only a politician could do anything more stupid in the eyes of the public. P.S. The famous French phrase is more commonly written "pour encourager les autres" to indicate purpose, i.e. 'in order to' set an example for others.
John, the guidelines (which are a public document, and can be found on the Sentencing Council website) specify a mandatory minimum for a "totting" disqualification (unless exceptional hardship is found) of six months. Where the driver has already been a "totter" within three years of the last offence, then that period goes up to twelve months. And the 'taker' got an eleven week custodial sentence, suspended for twelve months, along with a twelve month supervision order (according to the article).
I think he's got off lightly. If the law doesn't come down like a tone of bricks on people like this then more people will start to advertise for dopplegangers.
There's also the man who committed a burglary while wearing a tag. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2257513/Is-Britains-stupid-criminal-Burglar-wearing-electronic-tag-records-movements-caught-raiding-flat.html And another whose phone showed he'd sent a text which read 'I've told you 20 times - don't ring me when I'm out robbing'. James Varley, defending, said: 'He doesn't have any previous convictions for burglary. 'He can't explain the text message and it doesn't reflect the situation or his antecedent history.' Right... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253317/The-text-message-dim-witted-burglar-Stuart-Gibbs-bars.html#ixzz2HPafx5ie
I was in court last year when a defendant admitted receiving stolen goods. He was only caught because he rang the police to report his flat had been robbed. Had he forgotten that he still had a hoard of stolen stuff in the flat? No, it was better than that. He rang the police on a mobile phone that had been stolen that morning.... When he had been led out after being sentenced the entire court broke into giggles. How dumb can some people be.......?
Posts are pre-moderated. Please bear with us if this takes a little time, but the number of bores and obsessives was getting out of hand, as were the fake comments advertising rubbish.
Mind bogglingly stupid. Only a politician could do anything more stupid in the eyes of the public.
ReplyDeleteP.S. The famous French phrase is more commonly written "pour encourager les autres" to indicate purpose, i.e. 'in order to' set an example for others.
No charges against the 'taker' of the points?
ReplyDeleteIf you read it fully, the Mail story says he was given an 11-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months with a 12-month supervision order.
DeleteAny idea how long he would have been disqualified for.
ReplyDeleteJohn Gibson
John, the guidelines (which are a public document, and can be found on the Sentencing Council website) specify a mandatory minimum for a "totting" disqualification (unless exceptional hardship is found) of six months. Where the driver has already been a "totter" within three years of the last offence, then that period goes up to twelve months. And the 'taker' got an eleven week custodial sentence, suspended for twelve months, along with a twelve month supervision order (according to the article).
ReplyDeleteThanks very much.
DeleteJohn
I think he's got off lightly.
ReplyDeleteIf the law doesn't come down like a tone of bricks on people like this then more people will start to advertise for dopplegangers.
Any News on the Chris Hune case.................?
Well, it's the sort of case where I would be very interested to know if a learning disability was present, rather than 'stupidity'.
ReplyDeleteThere's also the man who committed a burglary while wearing a tag.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2257513/Is-Britains-stupid-criminal-Burglar-wearing-electronic-tag-records-movements-caught-raiding-flat.html
And another whose phone showed he'd sent a text which read 'I've told you 20 times - don't ring me when I'm out robbing'.
James Varley, defending, said: 'He doesn't have any previous convictions for burglary.
'He can't explain the text message and it doesn't reflect the situation or his antecedent history.'
Right...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253317/The-text-message-dim-witted-burglar-Stuart-Gibbs-bars.html#ixzz2HPafx5ie
I was in court last year when a defendant admitted receiving stolen goods. He was only caught because he rang the police to report his flat had been robbed. Had he forgotten that he still had a hoard of stolen stuff in the flat? No, it was better than that. He rang the police on a mobile phone that had been stolen that morning....
ReplyDeleteWhen he had been led out after being sentenced the entire court broke into giggles.
How dumb can some people be.......?
I am surprised he wasn't fined £251 as well for taking the payment
ReplyDelete