Why are we wasting public money on scum like this?

[R1Geezer]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/10273421.stm
OK so they reduced the minimum tarrif by 10 big deal, it's just an excuse for lawyers to rack up legal fees. For that matter why do crimin al scum get free legal aid after having been convicted?

[joeluke]

They should have hung him by his balls in the first place

[Garmard]

OMG! Why didn't they just give him a couple of weeks community service instead,
what is the world coming to?

[jackthehat]

Life should mean life.
However, seeing as Whiting will be 91 years old (instead of 101 years old) before he can 'apply' for parole I think the point is somewhat academic.

[jackthehat]

Apologies.
He'll be 81 instead of 91 years old.

[R1Geezer]

Yes jack but there's still plenty of time for it to be reduced further by the ooman rights brigade. I'd like to think he'll never get out but with our EU masters, I'm not confident.

[jackthehat]

I can't see that there can be any further challenges mounted.
I like to think that he'll die behind bars, and sooner rather than later, too.

[joeluke]

But what if he falls 'gravely' ill behind bars and only has a short time to live?

Surely they could release him on compassionate grounds?

It worked for the Ronnie Biggs and the Lockerbie bomber when they were 'close to death'

10 months on and both are still with us.......perhaps they both visited Lourdes after their release?

[DEN53]

Poor Sara Payne and her family must be gutted to think someone actually cares enough to reduce this pervert's sentence. Its irrelevant how old he will be, its just the fact someone actually thinks he deserves a lighter sentence.

[Seadragon]

Convicted criminals get legal aid due to their circumstances for any appeals.

[jackthehat]

I imagine it is 'the law' that thinks his sentence needed to be reduced, which is certainly NOT the same thing as 'deserving' a lighter sentence...........

[Ankou]

it was a technicality that has changed since his original conviction.

one wonders why the change could not allow the judge to commit a whole life order at this time, but i guess that would mean jumping through more hoops at the european court of human rights.

i can't help thinking that your point, r1, regarding the legal profession is probably rather true. although equally there are many who use it to fight injustice as well.

[Zeuhl]

///Surely they could release him on compassionate grounds?

It worked for the Ronnie Biggs and the Lockerbie bomber when they were 'close to death'///

Well Ronnie Biggs wasn't convicted of murder and wasn't sentenced to life.

The LB release was aided by the fact that those in charge know he wasn't the actual bomber, just the guy who took the fall as part of Libya's rehabilitation and the business deals we were doing with them.

The reason prisoners get legal aid is that they are unable to earn and assumed unable to pay for their own counsel DUH!

The ability of prisoners to mount appeals is vindicated because as we know, there's no shortage of cases where such appeals have resulted in convictions being overturned.
.

[OrcadianOil]

At least this subhuman cannot still be released until he's in his eighties. Compare that to what the mother of Baby P and her scumbag boyfriend got for that little soul's outrage.

It's only the sheer inconsistencies in sentencing which creates such strong feelings and which will always do so until such times as capital punishment is brought back. That, sadly, will probably never happen, but it's the only way to ensure consistent sentencing, isn't it?

[joeluke]

zehul

So Ronnie Biggs was innocent was he?

I feel a Sex Pistols song coming on

[DrFilth]

joe briggs was charged with robbery

Ronnie Biggs
Born 8 August 1929 (1929-08-08) (age 80)
Lambeth, London, England, United Kingdom
Charge(s) Train robbery.
Penalty 30 years in prison
Status Released on compassionate grounds