Arson sentence

[jake-the-peg]

11 1/2 years for burning down the Reeves store in the Riot.

More or less serious than this case do you think?

A-G's Reference No 68 OF 2008 (MYRIE)
Pleaded guilty to arson reckless as to whether life was endangered. The defendant put petrol through the letterbox of a house in a revenge attack following a road rage incident. Family evacuated and £7K damage.

http://www.cps.gov.uk...ual/arson_-_reckless/

[Gromit]

Magistrates and Judges often sentence highly for criminal damage. And of course, special justice has to be dispensed for rioting offences. Four years for two numpties in Warrington who incited no one to riot in that town. Signals have to be sent that such lawlessness will not be tolerated.

[sir.prize]

When he's done his 11½ years they should give him another 11½.

[emmie]

more serious, personally i would send the low life down for a lot longer, but i am not in a position to do that. The family lost their home, business, and could have been potentially fatal consequences.

[EDDIE51]

Will probably appeal the sentence and get it reduced to about 5 years.
Other sentences for the riots have already been reduced on appeal.

[Gromit]

// The family lost their home, business //

Don't think they lived over the shop so how come they lost their home? I am sure they will have been insured. Just looked and the business is still trading.

http://www.houseofree...-us-opening-hours/i51

Not excusing the crime, but no one was hurt (luckily) unlike jakes examples.

[Davethedog]

I don't think it was enough, I don't think, in a couple of cases, in your examples the sentance was enough.

The point about Croydon wasn't just the arson it was what it inspired after.

[emmie]

perhaps it wasn't their home, but some who lived near could have been fatally injured.

http://www.dailymail....ves-arson-attack.html

[chaptazbru]

I cheered when I heard this on the news this morning. Apparently as he walked away from the blaze, he was bragging to others that he had done it. Pr**k !

[jake-the-peg]

Well I'm not suggesting he should get a light sentence

But it is important to me (and I hope to most people) that the law is applied consistantly and proportionately.

It seems that our current crop of leaders think that sentences should reflct public opinion and outrage.

I think that's very dangerous as it places the law in the hands of rabble rousers stirring up public opinin for their own benefit.

In the context of these cases I would have thought something more akin to a 5 years would be appropriate although we don't know what his previous criminal history has been and that is clearly relevant too.

I'd certainly expect there to be an appeal aginst the sentence

[emmie]

so 5 years for this, no he got off lightly

London riots: 11 years for man who set fire to Croydon shop
Gordon Thompson destroyed a family business, which had stood at that site for over 150 years.
11/04/2012 11:47 AM

JAILED: Gordon Thompson

A MAN who set fire to a south London furniture shop during last summer’s riots, has been sentenced to 11 years in jail.

Gordon Thompson, 33, who pleaded guilty to the arson of The House of Reeves in Croydon also admitted three burglaries for which he was sentenced to serve eight years concurrently.

On August 8, Thompson forced his way into the stores to loot and burgle them. He then deliberately set fire to a sofa in the furniture showroom of House of Reeves destroying a family business, which had stood at that site for over 150 years.

The first of his criminal acts that night was a burglary at Iceland on Surrey Street when he brazenly looted the store. However Thompson was captured on film with the items he had stolen and that photograph appeared on the front page of the local newspaper.

A short time later Thompson was again caught on CCTV entering the House of Fraser store and reemerging five minutes later with armfuls of stolen goods.



CCTV also captured Thompson at Reeves Corner where he ripped a shattered glass pane from its frame and entered the premises. This time he stole a laptop computer and on leaving the store he asked another person for a lighter. As soon as he was given one, he set fire to a sofa inside the shop. 

The resulting fire was devastating.

Once House of Reeves was ablaze, glowing embers from the fire set light to the residential property on the other side of the road and residents were forced to flee for their lives.

[EDDIE51]

jake-the-peg I have to agree , many of the sentences handed out after the riots seem to owe more to the sense of public outrage and the ranting of politicians than to previous sentencing guidelines.
Gromit, I am sure heard on the News last night that the business owner did live above the shop and his home was destroyed along with his business.

[EDDIE51]

Having just read em10's post above I now agree that this sentence is fair, however my comments about the riot sentences in general still stand.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// Not excusing the crime, but no one was hurt ///

It wasn't for the trying, hopefully this poor woman escaped unharmed.

http://i.dailymail.co...00578-703_634x434.jpg

This thug got off lightly for what he had done.

http://i.dailymail.co...0000578-3_634x437.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co...00578-382_636x417.jpg

[sp1814]

I completely understand where you're coming from JTP, but in the sentences that were handed out to rioters I believe she courts have got it about right.

What happened last summer was exceptional, and sentences need to reflect the feelings of the public, otherwise the public will lose faith in the judiciary.

What I thought was marvellous was how swiftly justice was dealt out. You go out to rob, to destroy and to loot - well enjoy your prison term because that flat screen telly has just screwed up the rest of your life.

I remember seeing that department store ablaze on the news and I applaud the police and courts for banging up the <insert relevant swear word> who caused that much pain (as in mental anguish - pain doesn't always have to be physical.

<rant over - thanks for your patience>

[emmie]

i just heard on the news that this miscreant had 11 previous convictions, he didn't stipulate what they were but suffice to say he is now locked up.

[DTCwordfan]

should have been double the sentences on both cases.

And yes to more consistency between sentences and make them longer - as in the States. They wouldn't mess around.

[d9f1c7]

You think he should have got 5 years? He got 5 years he'll be out in 5. Dam savage should be actually inside for at least 10 for this. It's not just property damage it's the whole attitude that cannot be tolerated. The losss of a century old building+ business is always going to get a severe punishment. Are you saying we should not take account of what is destroyed? What if he burned down the British museum or worse Labour party HQ?

[rov1100]

Arsonists tend to have a mental problem. Cases in the past have sometimes have resulted in an indeterminate sentence. Given this person received 11 1/2 years may mean the grudge is still there when completed and can go on to other arson attacks later.

[anotheoldgit]

/// Given this person received 11 1/2 years may mean the grudge is still there when completed and can go on to other arson attacks later. ///

Then lock him up for life, problem solved.