Riots

[Dai 55]

members any views on some of the sentencing some people received on the recent riots,i think to many people received to long a sentence and most will appeal which will cost the country more money,i believe the people involved should be dealt with and hammered but is jail the answer?there was a lot of people caught up in the riots who did not go out to riot,this does not mean they should have stolen but some of the sentencing is crazy.

[HOWIE WILLIAMS]

Dai,

just think of the people who have lost their homes, livelyhoods and lives in the recent disturbances. Hopefully no-one on this forum was effected in such a way, but do you honestly believe that a "community sentence", is a suitable punishment for the animals involved in the looting, burning, robbing and yes, Killing, that went on.

Do you think that people didn`t know what they were doing when the got caught up in the moment.
I personally arrested two teenagers for posting "Inciting and encouraging" messages on facebook, 18 and 19 years old, both with very minor previous convictions. These two are now in custody awaiting trial and looking at 4 years each.
If we agree or not it doesn`t change the fact that their actions were unlawful and dangerous.

One of our basic human rights gives us the entitlement to have peaceful enjoyment of our possessions, how can we have this right if there is the threat of this type of thing happening again?

Until there is a suitable alternative deterant, prison is the only answer and if it was up to me it would be along the lines of a military correctional centre with Charlie Fenton at the healm!

If you can`t do the time, don`t do the crime!

[steve bird]

the government should first deport all forien prioner's,male and female freeing up space for our rioter's/looter's any forien rioter's/looter's should be deported without chance of appeal on thier humanrights. so on my part jail them for a long time without remission

[Dai 55]

Howie mate i like the Charlie fenton bit,i certainly agree the gang leaders should be hammered and serve long sentences,i just dont think jail is the right solution in some cases,lets be fair some of these guys will be looked after better in prison than they do at home 3 meals a day,sky tv,human rights etc great life,as for deportation this is the uk we are talking about (90% of people deported find there way back the country does not even know how many foreigners we have here,
Anyway Howie nice to speak after so long take care mate

[Gwyn Nicholas]

Dai

If you dont have a deterrant it will continue to snowball. Looting is the worst sort of crime when there is a crisis which is why in many countries and indeed this country (in a time of war) looters are shot on sight. Jail sentences surely are the minimum requirement to appease those who have suffered from the looters, killers and rioters in general. You are talking about people involved who have respectable jobs and middle class backgrounds gettting involved . For what.......a buzz, a bit of excitement away from their miserable mundane lives. Why should these people get away with it. I hear what you say about three squares and free telly but that is another issue, the point is, they lose their freedom and some very lucrative jobs and future employment including - LAW (2 year law student how bizzare is that) Our country is already too soft on the criminals in this country in my opinion, to get any softer will lead to total anarchy.

[sixties]

come into the real world , how can you defend the lawyers, business people etc, my stepson a policeman has had 2 major ops on his back because of these rioters, & has been told he might never work again. there are 37 policemen off with injuries, 5 of which were caused by fire bombs.
why is it people always feel pity for the wrongdoers & not the people who have lost all their homes, belongings, etc. for me they should be whipped, and then 10 on the
chain gang.

[Dai 55]

Maybe i am getting a little soft in my older years of life,but i dont feel pitty for people who riot loot etc,i just dont trust the people who run the country glory hunters i was gobsmacked to see the Police and goverment trying to claim victory who stopped the riots i dont think they were dealt with very well at all,i will stand by harsh sentencing i believe to many people were given to long a sentence full stop this is not a dig at anyone this is my opinion,

[jcj]

Personally I would like to see stiffer sentences for all crimes and not just the riots as standard. Maybe if the thugs (and idiots whose excuse was they were caught up in the moment) knew that they would be facing a long custodial sentence they may not have committed the crime in the first place. I also believe anyone found guilty of assaulting the police ambulance or fire-fighters should receive the longest sentence possible.