Should we be Jailing someone for throwing an egg

[Gromit]

While we are releasing murders and rapists from jail early because they are full, should we really be sending people to jail for throwing an egg?

// A man who threw an egg at the face of a Conservative peer on a visit to Luton has been jailed for six weeks.

Baroness Warsi, now Conservative Party chairwoman, was targeted during the visit on 30 November 2009.

Gavin Reid, 23, of Green Close, Luton, had denied a charge under the Public Order Act of intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress.

But City of Westminster magistrates' found him guilty and sentenced him to six weeks' imprisonment. //

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...-bucks-herts-10803553

I wonder if a jail sentence would have resulted if you or I had been pelted with an egg?

[craft1948]

I think 6 weeks may be eggcessive

[Sooper]

Ha Ha!! Very good!
Was it hard boiled? That could really hurt?!

[Davethedog]

I don't think you can beat it. I think there might be a scramble to get similar sentances.

but a fine might be OK if people will shell out.

[Davethedog]

sorry craft I poached your idea

[craft1948]

it's alright dave..........it wasn't all it was cracked up to be............

[bc7683023]

That's overkill. Had the egg hit someone in the eye and blinded them then yes. But then again looking deeper into this I read
"The prosecution previously alleged Baroness Warsi, who is from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, was ridiculed by a group of Muslim men"
So she was jeered heckled and then attacked. Had she not had people around her just how far were her attackers ready to go? What exactly was the reason this group took a disliking to her so much?

[ludwig]

Ridiculous to jail someone for that. Perhaps it was an Ostrich egg.

[jno]

two or three eggs, one of which broke on her face. I don't have a big problem with the sentence, though a couple of weeks might have been enough; politicians should be allowed to go about their business without things being thrown at them. I'd say the same if I had been the target; but innocent folk like me seldom get pelted with eggs, though the police may occasionally beat us to death.

[anotheoldgit]

Could it be he was jailed because Baroness Warsi, is a Muslim and a peer of the realm to boot, and justice had to be seen as being applied.

Whereas David Cameron had an egg thrown at him, at the recent election campaign, yet the 16 year old student who threw it was only expelled from school.

[jno]

16-year-olds may reasonably be treated more leniently than adults. Your suggestion that it was because she is a Muslim is... typical.

[New Judge]

The offence of which Mr Reid was convicted carries a maximum of six months’ custody.

There is a wide range of activities which the offence covers. Magistrates’ sentencing guidelines contain the following advice:

Where there is “Group action or deliberately planned action against targeted victim” they should consider a sentence in the range between a Low level community order and 12 weeks custody.

So the sentence is not outside that range and is thus not unreasonable.

[jake-the-peg]

Disagree NJ

The bench book says that a custodial sentence should not be passed unless the court is satisfied that the offence is so serious that neither a fine or community service can be justified for the offence.

I've not heard the details but I'm really struggling here to imagine why community service wouldn't be justified.

100 hours or so of street cleaning would seem to be entirely appropriate.

It's difficult to escape the idea that the identity of target was an agravating factor

Particularly when you consider that no charges were brought against those who egged Nick Griffin last year

[Gromit]

It looks on the face of (if you pardon the expression) that in light of previous egg (and flour) throwing incidents where no jail term has been given, that the rank of the victim played a part in the much stricter sentence.

I do not support these incidents and there should be a punishment, but jails should be for dangerous people, not people making a political comment, albeit in a rather physical and basic manner.

[mollykins]

Maybe the judge was a tory.

NNNOOOO

[cc1]

I totally supported Prescott when he turned on the assailant, and I need oxygen to say "support", "I" and "Prescott" in the same sentence.
He was hounded by the Press etc, but the saying relating heat and kitchens springs to mind.

[ludwig]

//100 hours or so of street cleaning would seem to be entirely appropriate. //

Completely agree Jake.

[naomi24]

^^ Me too.

[thetruthhurts]

Maybe he would have better off doing a bit of poaching