18Years Only For Murder ?

[tamborine]

Why not life for the coward ?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/imran-douglas-murdered-margery-gilby-2710738

[starone]

I thoroughly agree with you tambo. It was a wicked thing to do. I think an appeal could be made to increase the sentence, but not quite sure of this. It was probably light because of his age when he did the murder, although in my opinion it does not matter how old he was he should get a full sentence and never be let out again.

[marval]

I think it should be life for murder, and life should mean life. Eighteen years is not justice to me.

[ELVIS68]

Evil bastard doesn't deserve to live another 18 years

[FredPuli43]

Here we go again. It is not 18 years. It is 18 years served before he can be considered for release.

Where has the idea come from the lifers, and those who were, in the old days, granted a reprieve from the death sentence, ever served life? They never did; I have heard of lifers who were out in 8 years. The only ones who might serve life were those in Broadmoor, who were so dangerously insane that it was never safe to let them out, however old they got.

[tamborine]

He will be 36y or younger when released. Lock him up till he's old & weak.

[Dolphinlady]

How someone can murder another is beyond me but to murder a defenseless old lady like that is disgusting and should be left to rot in jail.. Shame we don't have the death penalty here cos this is one guy that deserves it.. Shocking story

[sandyRoe]

18 years doesn't seen that light a sentence when contrasted with this.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-24872839

[mikey4444]

It would seem to me that any sentence passed after a horrible crime like this should serve two purposes. One to punish and the other to deter. If what Fred tells us is correct, and he is always right (!) than Douglas will be 35 before he can be considered for release. Nearly half his life will have gone by. He will always be a convicted murderer for the rest of his life. But will this sentence deter anybody else from committing another crime like this ?

Presumably this chap didn't look up the sentencing guidelines on the 'net before he went out that day. I can't tell from the Daily Mirror link why he committed this crime...was it drugs, or drink or mental illness...we are not told.

These crimes are rare, thank goodness. Whatever sentence this judge could have passed won't make any difference as far as I can see.

[bazwillrun]

"It is 18 years served before he can be considered for release.
"

yes but knowing the liberal leftie right on do gooder parole people he'll fool them easy enough and theyll let him out.

[ummmm]

Baz....Do you ever wonder if saying the same thing over and over again might be a tad boring?

[bazwillrun]

I'm not in the slightest bit bothered at all if you or anybody else finds it boring or otherwise....though it seems you still read it....

and you also know the answer...if you dont like what i post then dont read it

seems pretty simple to me

[ummmm]

I read it in case you finally have something original to say!

[bazwillrun]

Zzzzzzzzzzzz..........

[FredPuli43]

No,baz, the parole people cannot let a murderer out before he has served the minimum term specified, be it 12 years, 18 years, 20 years or whatever !

What they can do is let him out on day release when he is very near the end of the term and we had an absurd case of that recently, when the man took his day outside as an opportunity to commit a similar crime. It is to be hoped that they no longer practice this absurdity.

[mikey4444]

Thanks fred...your input is always informative and most welcome, unlike some I could mention !

[emmie]

a paltry sentence, life should mean than in his case, he could come out and still have a life, he won't even be middle aged, what a nonsense this is.

[jno]

Presumably this chap didn't look up the sentencing guidelines on the 'net before he went out that day

That's the problem with theories of deterrence, they don't work. People just assume they'll get away with whatever crimes they commit. As has been said, it's the certainty of punishment - not the severity of it - that deters. Given the low crime clear-up rates, there's no such certainty.

An 18-year minimum seems quite a long time to me. How many people are sure they'll be alive to see him released in (at the earliest) 2031? Not me.

[emmie]

but he killed someone, took her life in a pretty brutal, her family must be devastated.. is this what you think as justice.

[jno]

families are always devastated when someone dies. But as has been mentioned on other threads, there are still different degrees of murder. If it's seen only as manslaughter, the sentence might be quite short - though the family will be just as upset about the death (and probably more so about the sentence). Personal reactions aren't the only thing weighed up.