Who's Side Are Our Judges On, The Victims Or The Criminals?

[anotheoldgit]

Recently there was the a judge who said "It takes a huge amount of courage, as far as I can see, for somebody to burgle somebody's house. I wouldn't have the nerve."

And now one has said: 'I take into account four of the wounds and two of the deep wounds were deliberately made by you on the legs.

'I am therefore giving you credit for the fact that when you used the knife the way you did you were taking care not to inflict life threatening injuries, although I am aware that such injuries can cause death.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2246843/Judge-credits-thug-Hoopang-Wong-taking-care-inflict-life-threatening-injuries-victim.html

There really are some very caring knife wielding thugs about these days.

[youngmafbog]

I agree, this is a violent and viscous thug who needs dealing with. It is utter liberal nonsense like this that has got us into this problem in the first place. If he had been banged up properly in the first place things may well have been different.

[rojash]

"he's going to be treated leniently."

I don't think 7 years is particularly lenient. But you seem to be deliberately misinterpreting what Zeuhl is saying. If all criminals got the same punishment regardless of the gravity of the offence, you end up in the position where a criminal is better off killing someone than injuring them, his reasoning being that if he kills them he's less likely to get caught, and if if does get caught, his penalty will be no worse.

[naomi24]

Rojash, //you seem to be deliberately misinterpreting what Zeuhl is saying.//

I don’t deliberately misinterpret what anyone says. As someone else said, a thug inflicting life threatening injuries upon his victim would be charged with attempted murder. Having said that, I don’t believe any of them should be commended in any way whatsoever for inflicting lesser injuries. The maximum sentence, appropriate to the crime, should be imposed in every case.

[ludwig]

I hope the victim remembered to say 'Thankyou for not killing me'.

There's nothing worse than an ungrateful victim.

[Zeuhl]

^
"Thank heavens the knife went into my leg instead of my stomach"

would seem to be a perfectly normal and rational reaction

[Zeuhl]

/I don’t believe any of them should be commended in any way whatsoever/

naomi

credits in court trials aren't commendations

they are part of the sentencing formula, just as a guilty plea and a trial avoided can 'earn credits'

[ludwig]

// Thank heavens the knife went into my leg instead of my stomach //

Is that all he said? It's a bit churlish of him then. He's not giving the attacker due credit for taking care to direct the knife into his leg as the judge did.

[anotheoldgit]

Seems to me, to be a 'stab in the back' for the victim.

[naomi24]

Zeuhl, I don’t often disagree with you, but on this occasion I do. When a judge says 'I am therefore giving you credit for the fact that when you used the knife the way you did you were taking care not to inflict life threatening injuries,….’, he undermines the severity of the crime and I actually think he should be ashamed of himself.

[Zeuhl]

I see your point naomi

but he isn't 'giving credit' in the usual sense of the word - he is allocating Credits - i.e. an instrument in the sentencing formula

Without that it could be we have no 'instrument' for calculation that some crimes are bad (e.g. 7 years worth) and some a bit worse (e.g. 10 years worth)

[sandyRoe]

Would the assailant not need an extensive knowledge of anatomy to be able to stab someone 5 times and yet be sure that the wounds inflicted weren't life threatening?
In the heat of a fight was he really picking his target areas?

[naomi24]

Zeuhl, I understand what you're saying - but I think the judge was very foolish to express his thoughts in the way he did.

[Mick-Talbot]

Hoopang Wong, 25, stabbed victim Karlos Fredericks four times in the legs and once in his armpit

Isn't there a major artery there?

[Duncer]

Where, in Hoopang Wong? Is that Malaysia?

[Zeuhl]

naomi

agreed. it's a problem of two halves.

the media always like to pull extracts from court proceedings out of context and make a story out of it

i only know jp's who are (generally) more sensitive to that, but judges seem oblivious, or don't care, which contributes to the whole process losing credibility and public confidence. maybe senior judges don't care, maybe that's how they should be?

my personal inclination would be to help the wider public appreciate and understand what is going on.

[bazwillrun]

Sorry your honour I meant to stab him in the thigh in a soft squidgy bit that would have healed pretty quickly without too much damage.......I didnt realise thats where the femoral artery was

Some of you people on here are laughable

he stabbed him four times !....end of....pure luck he didnt sever an artery

[ludwig]

Heedun would be a more appropriate name than Hoopang.

[Zeuhl]

//pure luck he didnt sever an artery //

but he didn't

and the Law is also interested in 'intent'

So you wouldn't sentence someone more severely than another offender - even if they intended to cause a greater amount of injury than the other?

You may need to think that through again - or ask a grown-up to help you.

[anotheoldgit]

Zeuhl

Absolutely no need for this kind of thing, other ABers are quite within their right to state their opinions.

/// You may need to think that through again - or ask a grown-up to help you. ///

May I remind you of the Site Rules?

[Zeuhl]

//May I remind you of the Site Rules? //

No you may not aog

It would be inappropriate for one of the rudest, most intolerant, most belligerent, most ungracious, boorish, self-obsessed and dishonest posters to do anything of the sort, especially in defence of another ABer who is even more incapable of discerning between a criticism of another opiniom and a rude personal comment

e.g. //Some of you people on here are laughable // at 14.58