Is this justice?

[bruce5755]

I have just seen two items on the BBC news tonight:- A man is facing life for conning several people out of about �1,000,000. Another man who fled back to his native Shrilanka, after driving a car illegally and killing a pregnant woman and her baby, has just been sentenced to 16mths.

I am lost for words!

What do you think?

[johnny5]

as mr bumble once said the law is a ass

[mycatis]

It's digusting. This is why I have always called it the legal system rather than the justice system.

[Little Lady]

Just goes to show money means more to some people than life doesn't it. Makes me sick!

[butter1]

I do agree with you.  But I heard that he also raped and straved most of these people.  I don't think he was a very nice man at all... but yes, I do agree that our justice system could be better.

[mynaisir]

Without knowing more about the background of the case of the man killing a mother and baby, 16 months sounds pretty lenient. The Sentencing Advisory Panel's guidelines on causing death by dangeous driving suggest the following sentences:

1) a short custodial sentence for an offence arising from a momentary error of judgment or short period of bad driving, where there are no aggravating features;
2) a custodial sentence of 2-5 years when the standard of the offender�s driving is more highly dangerous, e.g. aggressive driving or greatly excessive speed, or when the offender has consumed alcohol or drugs;
3) a custodial sentence over 5 years, up to the maximum of 10 years, for the most serious offences, where the offender has driven with complete disregard for the safety of other road users and where other aggravating features are present.

If the second case mentioned is the one involving Robert Hendy-Freegard, he was convicted on two counts of kidnap, ten of theft and eight of deception. At present, UK law allows for a single case of kidnapping to be punishable by unlimited penalty.

While killing two people while driving illegally and then trying to avoid prosecution by fleeing the country is obviously reprehensible, unless there was proof the man had intended to kill mother and baby, it's an accident and punishable as such. Part of the reason kidnapping carries such a high sentence is the intent on the part of the kidnapper and the suffering caused to the victims.

[magicbeatle]

I wonder how long he would of got if the wife and child was related to someone rich and powerful, like Tony Blair!