Ronnie Biggs ,,,,

[Joy11]

looks set to be freed, about time too, when you think of the eejits who have had 6 weeks to do for their crime(Jack Tweed).
I know the guy commited a crime, but by todays standard, it comes pretty low down in the table, there will be people who will say a man died through this, and yes, they are right, and I feel for his family, but why have they kept a very sick old man all this time in prison, what danger could he possibly be to the public, when they let thugs off with a hand-slap

[jno]

well, he is a thug. You seem very concerned about Tweed's victim, who is alive and cross, and remarkably unconcerned about the fact that the train robbers actually killed someone.

[ummmmmdedum]

Did they jno? I always thought that they just badly beat him.

[Jan1957]

I see your point Joy but if they let him out where will it stop. It may set a precedent for other ill prisoners to request early release. He did do a runner and go abroad whereas if he had done his time he would have been freed years ago?

[Joy11]

I hardly think you can look at Ronnie Biggs and see him as a "thug" anymore, so do you think Jack Tweed should only do the 6 weeks, and Ronnie Biggs should just die in there?
I don't think it was R.Biggs who hit the train driver who died a while later in hospital,,,,I could be wrong and I am sure I shall stand corrected if this should be, but I can't see him as threat to anyone, can you?

[Joy11]

Hi, Jan, I believe the man is terminally ill, I do not condone what he and the gangland thugs did at all, but rather than the tax payer keeping in there, he may as well be out, he's not going anywhere.

[jno]

yes, you're right, ummm, and I was wrong. The driver was badly beaten and never returned to work, but Wikipedia says he actually died of leukaemia.

[ummmmmdedum]

That sounded bad putting 'just' badly beaten.

I think he should be released.

[VHG]

Funny thing is I seem to remember Ronnie was only brought into the gang at the last minute, so strange he is the only one still in prison.

I remember at the time of the sentences it was felt they were very harsh (30 years for robbery with some violence).

According to Wiki he has in fact only served a third of his original sentence.

Maybe if some modern criminals thought they might get 30 years it may make them think twice before doing the crime.

[ummmmmdedum]

He's the only one still in prison as he's the one who managed to evade capture for so long....

[jake-the-peg]

Well I don't think Biggs is down for the assault anyway so is that relevant?

What about the Brinks Mat robbers?

Shall we let them out too?

[Ethel]

Could Biggs still be in prison because he escaped and went on the run for 35 years?

If he had stayed in prison he would have been out a long time ago.

[Joy11]

what would their ages be jake, the point I am trying to make, the blokes old and dying, he isn't a danger to anyone

[jake-the-peg]

Well a lot of people are in prison who aren't a danger to anyone.

There are other reasons why we imprison people, as a deterrant and to satisfy a sense of justice for example.

But Biggs has been playing the health card for the last 4 years.

He had a 30 year sentence and was appealing to be released 4 years into it.

It's just becasue people look at him as an old codger who committed some sort of victimless crime 40 years ago.

I'll bet people wouldn't be saying he's no harm to anyone if he'd robbed a bunch of old ladies of their life savings.

I tend to think a degree of sentimentality is at play here

[ummmmmdedum]

That's what I was saying Ethel...

Where's my stars???? :-)

[Joy11]

there they are ummmm, I don't have to agree but I love a good point.

[4getmenot]

I totally agree with jake. He did the crime all the others served their sentance while he was sunning it up abroad, he gave himself up he should take the punishment

[sqad617]

You do the crime.
You do the time.

I can't see what there is to discuss.

[ummmmmdedum]

:-) x

[R1Geezer]

"..... what danger could he possibly be to the public..."

I don't give a flying donald if he's a danger to the public, it's what is known as "P u n i s h m e n t ", an increasingly alien concept.

He only came back because so he could rob us further from the NHS. let the J arthur rot I say.