London lesbians beaten for not kissing

[Darat]

There should be a balance between a criminal being able to be brag about a proverbial slap on the wrist and doing a life term for stealing a loaf of bread. This sentence seems to be the former. At the very least, the fine should be more substantial than what a person could make at a low-wage job in no more than two days. I don't know about the UK but a simple speeding ticket in the US could cost more.

A quick search hasn't turned up what the "non custodial" part of his sentence actually is, so I'm agnostic whether it is effective or not.

 

[Information Analyst]

I'm thinking a £100 fine is low, even for a teenager. £1,000 is probably too high. The idea of the fine is to cause some inconvenience, remind the offender there is a price to behaving badly, and inform him that should further intervention be required it will cost more. Maybe a lot more.

I doubt the 16 year old will be paying the fine himself, so the point is a bit moot.

 

[Rolfe]

Here is the twitter thread from The Secret Barrister that clears up quite a lot of this.

https://twitter.com/BarristerSecret/status/1208096099287945216

In summary, the assailant in question seems not to have been involved in the actual assault, but to have merely indulged in verbal abuse (which on his part was not homophobic) and theft. He was a juvenile, subject to the very different juvenile sentencing rules, and it was a first offence, and I think he pleaded guilty. All this is taken into account.

As TSB says, it would be helpful if the courts would publish the sentencing remarks so that the press and public could understand the issues, rather than allowing speculation and public outrage to run unchecked.

 

[Darat]

Here is the twitter thread from The Secret Barrister that clears up quite a lot of this.

https://twitter.com/BarristerSecret/status/1208096099287945216

In summary, the assailant in question seems not to have been involved in the actual assault, but to have merely indulged in verbal abuse (which on his part was not homophobic) and theft. He was a juvenile, subject to the very different juvenile sentencing rules, and it was a first offence, and I think he pleaded guilty. All this is taken into account.

As TSB says, it would be helpful if the courts would publish the sentencing remarks so that the press and public could understand the issues, rather than allowing speculation and public outrage to run unchecked.

You think the facts would alter the headline of "let off" or the Daily Mail's tone?

 

[Rolfe]

Not the Mail, no. But they might be helpful to more sober media.

 

[quadraginta]

Not the Mail, no. But they might be helpful to more sober media.

More sober media, almost by definition will have already taken the time to apprise themselves of the facts.

Conversely, the Mail, also almost by definition, would have no particular interest in or use for such irritating things as facts in the first place.

 

[Rolfe]

I'm only agreeing with the Secret Barrister, who said it was difficult to ferret out the reasons for the sentence, and publication of the sentencing remarks would be helpful.

 

[Blue Mountain]

I doubt the 16 year old will be paying the fine himself, so the point is a bit moot.

True, his parents may pony up the cash for the fine. But if I did sch a thing for my (non existent) kid I'd expect to be paid back in full.

 

[PhantomWolf]

I know the UK justice system is much more lenient than the US, but no prison time for violently robbing two strangers strikes me as unjust.

You don't put 16 year olds in prison. However 6 months in Juvie might have been nice.

 

[Puppycow]

You don't put 16 year olds in prison. However 6 months in Juvie might have been nice.

"Juvie" is just a prison for juveniles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_detention_center

 

[PhantomWolf]

"Juvie" is just a prison for juveniles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_detention_center

I know what it was, I was making a distinction because there is a distinction in how they operate opposed to an adult prison.