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I'm glad to see our courts taking this sort of thing seriously

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-63456303

I'm glad to see our courts taking this sort of thing seriously surprise

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Hirsute | 1 year ago
1 like

Another one

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-63474122

Hardcastle, of Hertford, was given a six-month suspended prison term for causing death by careless driving.

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pockstone | 1 year ago
0 likes

Here's another example of harsh Yorkshire justice.

I would have thought a few months cycling or running to work would have had a beneficial effect on his 'rugby career'!

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/23091274.driver-avoided-driv...

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Hirsute replied to pockstone | 1 year ago
2 likes

If only rugby were a team game.

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pockstone replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
1 like

Indeed, at least 12, possibly 14 mates to give him a lift?

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iandusud replied to pockstone | 1 year ago
3 likes

I have no sympathy for someone who has already got 9 points on their licence who continues to disregard traffic laws. Neither should the courts. It's a disgrace. If he's so concerned about being able get to and from work then he should consider that before continuing to flout the law. 

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wtjs | 1 year ago
0 likes

Yes, he's laughing even more now

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Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
5 likes

For crying out loud. Of course there is a case for suspended sentences when someone has made a genuine error of judgement (not using their phone or anything like that), we're all human, but when someone has deliberately driven incredibly dangerously for a sustained period and then attempted to avoid capture, putting the public and police at further risk, all without a licence, how on earth does he stay out of chokey?

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OldRidgeback replied to Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
4 likes

Given hhis attitude to how he drove, you have to ask whether a life driving ban would be appropriate.

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brooksby replied to OldRidgeback | 1 year ago
1 like

Given his attitude, you have to ask whether any ban will make the slightest difference to his actually being out on the roads behind the wheel of a car...

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Awavey replied to Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
1 like

Because chokey is full, or it's set aside for what they might consider more serious crimes like rape, murder etc.

A suspended sentence is still a custodial sentence, there will be conditions, he'll have to avoid any further offences for two years, but theyll have taken his age and chance of rehab as part of it.

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Rendel Harris replied to Awavey | 1 year ago
3 likes

I get that of course, but his reported behaviour is every bit as dangerous as someone randomly letting fly with a firearm in a public place for a laugh (and an unlicenced one at that, given that this driver was unlicenced), if someone did that it'd be prison for sure and a lifetime ban from owning a firearm thereafter. It's just maddening how the law is capable of seeing how a firearm kept for sporting purposes, or even a humble kitchen knife, can become a dangerous and deadly weapon when misused but is somehow unwilling to apply the same standards to the misuse of motor vehicles.

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chrisonabike replied to Awavey | 1 year ago
0 likes

As pointed out - no licence, treating police pursuit as part of the game (Smokey and The Bandit here).  How's he not going to be driving (dangerously) again soon, you have to wonder?  It's not likely any licenced friends of his will have done their Advanced Driver.  Given how common speeding is they won't be "previously law abiding" motorists either.  As discussed recently, where's the social stigma from the wider community?  It really, really isn't seen like driving drunk (which is still with us too).

I'm also not sure how locking him up will effect any change.  However I guess he'd be about four months older when he got out - time is probably our best hope.  And we'd all have 4 months' respite.

The other issue is - once (sorry, if) he starts driving again in the next 3 years what are the odds of him getting spotted?  What would be the sanction if he was?  As you say the prisons are full and the probation service is not over-resourced either...

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iandusud replied to Awavey | 1 year ago
1 like

Awavey wrote:

Because chokey is full, or it's set aside for what they might consider more serious crimes like rape, murder etc. A suspended sentence is still a custodial sentence, there will be conditions, he'll have to avoid any further offences for two years, but theyll have taken his age and chance of rehab as part of it.

I have stated here a number of times that I'm not a fan of spending tens of thousands a year to keep someone in prison unless they pose a danger to the general public. This is might well be a case in point. Prisons are overcrowded but I would question if all of the inmates are a danger to society, and therefore prison space should be reserved for more serious offenders.

At the moment the Government is putting a bill through parliament which will allow the electronic tagging of people excerising their democratic right to protest, confining them to their home - and this without having been found guilty of any offence. Maybe such tagging would be a more suitable punishment for this miscreant who has been found guilty by a court of law.

I note that he was driving without a licence. We are not told if this was because he hasn't passed a driving test or if he has already lost his licence due to previous offences. Either way a three year ban, taking into account his lack of remorse and clear disregard for the law, strikes me as pitiful. 

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chrisonabike replied to iandusud | 1 year ago
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Ah, but the lawbreakers aren't wasting police time by sitting there and making the police physically move them.  They are running away by themselves - or simply not attracting the attention of the police!  I'm sure wtjs could remind us on how little work they cause for the Lancs coppers...

Also - protesters often challenge the status quo.  Criminals are normally quite happy with it - it's easier to commit crimes against the more law-abiding.  And e.g. smuggling rather *requires* laws you can break to make money...

(I feel we're significantly different from the likes of Russia or China here but some of the recent lawmaking e.g. formally legalising police lawbreaking and this takes a step down a similar path.)

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wtjs replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
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I'm sure wtjs could remind us on how little work they cause for the Lancs coppers...

Yes, Lancashire Constabulary is completely consistent- whatever traffic offence it is, they're much too busy to waste time on it or on watching videos sent in the OpSnapLancs- which is a way of diverting complaints economically direct to the bin, without wasting time responding to them

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