Damilola Taylor's killer released from prison.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....rison-just-years.html

Absolutely disgusting that this savage child killer can be let out, after only serving five years of his eight years sentence for manslaughter.

He was originally released in September 2010 but sent back to jail last March for breaking the conditions of his licence, when he was seen in Southwark, south London, associating with gang members.

I wonder if his cousin Chris Preddie, (who was recently awarded an OBE, for his work with youths), will be putting him back on the 'straight and narrow'?

[NOX]

Well let's hope so eh Old Git, because the other option doesn't bear thinking about does it?

[smart1]

I hope so.

[Everhelpful]

In today's ridiculous society,AOG,it is a wonder he even served 5 years,as I have said on many an occasions you get longer for stealing money than Murder.

[Mick-Talbot]

I wonder if his cousin Chris Preddie, (who was recently awarded an OBE, for his work with youths), will be putting him back on the 'straight and narrow'?



If that is your question, then I have absolutely no idea.

[eyethenkyew]

At least he was banged away for a number of years, unlike loads who kill and escape prison, i.e. causing death by dangerous driving?

No difference to a manslaughter conviction as in the above case. But the law's an ass anyway and the do gooder mob continue to dilute it, so no wonder we have laughable "sentences" in the first place.

Society is to blame - there are no deterrents for a start, too many bleeding hearts made sure of that, and prison's more a euphemism for holiday camp anyway.

You get what you deserve - and this is what we've got - so get used to it.

[Coldicote]

In today's world it take years for some cases to come before the courts and prison sentences that don't mean what they say are becoming ever more ridiculous. I suspect that over-population and not enough prison space has a lot to do with it.

[emmie]

I agree, but he was a minor and one assumes that counts for him in the eyes of the law.

[NOX]

Twio things, firstly prison is not a holiday camp, secondly the quicker you can rehabilitate soemone the better as the longer anyone speands in prison the less spociety orientated they become and the more of a hardened criminal you produce. If this young man can be released and not reoffend then surely that is the goal, as punishment alone does no good. Revnge will not bring Damilola Taylor back- the best we can hope for is that the attacker concerned is rehabilitated which if he's just been chucked in prison I seriously doubt.

[emmie]

Nox, what would have been the option if he hadn't gone to prison. This was a barbaric act, committed by thugs, they should have got twenty years and served them all.

[NOX]

No one suggested that he shouldn't go to prison- there have to be consequences and those consequences have to be severe, however the goal surely has to be ultimately to make sure that a better individual is released from prison than went in not a worse one. There has to be, particularly with young offenders a really serious rehabilitation programme in place which all too often sadly is lacking, and that's when you get a situaiton where you create a ' super offender' who is destined for a life of crime and violence.

[emmie]

Not exactly on the straight an narrow

On 9 August 2006, Ricky Gavin Preddie (born 1987, Lambeth, London) and Danny Charles Preddie (born 1988, Lambeth),[3] after a 33-day retrial, were convicted of the manslaughter of Damilola Taylor. After allowing time for reports, sentencing took place on 9 October 2006.
Both defendants were very well known to police, being involved in multiple robberies

[NOX]

sorry I'm not quite sure what you're getting at Em, is that in response to soemthing i've written or just further info?

[emmie]

That he has shown no remorse despite being in prison, you would think that the least he could do is say sorry, and mean it. Too many cases like this, someone has to stop these stupid kids from killing each other, often over nothing more than that overused word respect. Gangs and gang related crimes are a bane on society, time the police cracked right down.

[sp1814]

Eight years seems a very short amount of time, and personally, I think the 'good behaviour' clause should work the other way. If you're sentenced o 8 years, you do the full 8 years, and if you MISbehave, then extra time is taken off.

Under current legislation, you get out early for good behaviour, but that doesn't seem right to me - good behaviour is the very minimum that should be expected.

Also, whilst eight years seems like a very light sentence, we have to remember, they were not done for murder, but for manslaughter. Their ages would've also been taken into consideration.

With regards to Chris Preddie - I don't think it's his duty to put this killer back on the straight and narrow. His OBE (whether you believe it was well deserved or not) was for working with others, prevening them from going down that path, not for acting as a parole officer.

There is something quite admirable with someone who spends their spare time actually getting down and doing something about gangs and youth crime.

[NOX]

I still don't understand the relevance of your previous post, but I couldn't agree with you more about the need to stop gang related violence, but quite how do you propose the police crack down on things, you can't arrest someone for hanging around with their friends, you have to alter the whole perception that there is nothing better out there for these kids. It's remarkable how quickly you can turn soemone willing around if they have everything in place to allow them to succeed, rather than setting them up for failure as we do at present.
Violence is a way of life in some areas, it's normalised ( I came from such an area myself) and it's that that we must alter if we are to avoid sceanrios where children kill other children.

[sp1814]

That should read:

"then extra time is added ON".

[emmie]

There may be something in that but don't believe for a second that some of these guys have a moments thought for victims like Damiola, barbarous way to behave and think.

[sp1814]

em10

Agreed.

I suspect that there are some young kids who simply don't give a damn. I think the word is 'nihilistic'.

Here's my theory (and it has nothing to back it up) - I think that there are kids who have never experienced love - proper love. And if you don't know what love is, you are unable to connect to other human beings. If you have never felt a permanent and unquestioning connection to another human being (be it parent, brother, sister etc) then you cannot comprehend others as people who are valuable to others.

Just an unsubstantiated theory.

[NOX]

It's an absolutely spot on theory SP- I mentor kids who have been in prison and the vast majority have no comprehension of how to behave normally because they have never seen it forst hand. We all used to make dinner together every night and this one lad stayed for dinner and helped and we all sat down and ate and discussed how everyone's day had been and plans for tomorrow etc and a few months later he said to me that that was when he realised how out of whack everything was with his life because that had never happened- somthing that simple that most of us take for granted.

[emmie]

Nox, i don't want to sound an oldie, but there may have been gang related crime in my younger days, but i do not recall the level of violence and murder you see now among many of these kids, so often it's black kids who look on their counter parts in places like America, and watch anarchic films of their idols, and copy that behaviour. Add drugs and dealing into the mix, and you have a whole different ball game. I don't have the answer, but it's time we stopped this now, because if you look at the stats for London alone in one year, it's frightening.