Boomaker Robbery

[gordie1]

What a shame for that poor guy who died robbing Ladbrokes with an immitation gun I know it was wrong I wonder whether he had a heartattack?

[Orderlimit]

Another serious and dangerous criminal released after a ridiculously short custodial sentence for armed robbery (served probably just over two years) and re-offends putting people at risk.

[New Judge]

Quite so, order limit. He was jailed in 2010 for “four years” for armed robbery. In that incident he terrified a female shop worker by pointing a firearm at her, forcing her to hand over £600. Had he been sentenced to a realistic term and/or been forced to serve the full sentence, this incident would not have occurred. The family of Alan Levers (the gunman) suggested he was trying to put his life “back on track” (as if it had ever been on track as he started his criminal career at the age of 13). They said "there will be no revenge" over his death. How sweet of them! Nephew Peter Levers said "We don't hold anybody responsible". Er…wrong. Mr Levers himself was entirely responsible for this incident.

[Zacs-Master]

I think NJ was being ironic, for those who are a bit confused.

[EDDIE51]

New Judge have you any idea on this thread?
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Law/Question1211252.html
The trial keeps getting delayed and the defendant has mental health issues that are being made worse by the delay. There is quite a background to it if you look on the profile

[Orderlimit]

And no doubt this will now be classed as a 'death in custody', costing the public purse a fortune.

Yes NJ, how considerate there will be no revenge

[NOX]

Would you prefer there were to be revenge then orderlimit? Or perhaps you live in a sterile world where you believe that is not a possibility? As far as the contributions to this thread are concerned, only Maggie and Ratter to some extent have grasped even slightly to what I was referring, the rest of you have been predictable in everything you have posted. Attitudes like that don't help, they hinder those of us trying to make sure men like that don't either offend in the first place or re-offend if they already have, and Eddie I am au fait enough to know the difference between a firearm and an imitation ( including it's workings), my point was that REAL handguns are so cheap and easy to get hold of on the streets, he clearly had no intention of going armed to hurt anyone, and if he had chances are you'd have had a lot of dead people one of whom wouldn't have been him.
A kid who offends for the first time at 13 and then goes on to accumulate a drink and drug habit which doubtless was a major contributing factor to his death will most likely have either abuse issues or mental health issues, the fact he was 50 tells of a totally wasted life but no-one ever plans to screw their lives up, he didn't think when he was 12 'I know, I'll be a career criminal, have a massive addiction and get crushed to death during a botched robbery long before my time to die.'
That to me is a tragedy, if you can't see that then I really do pity you.

[bednobs]

i consider myself a liberal, and tend not to get very exercised over things in general, and generally do believe in the concept of redemption in life. However, even i could frankly not care less about what happened to him and tend to think on the side of "if he wasn't there, being lawless, this wouldn't have happened" that is not to say he "deserved" it, just that he was the author of his own downfall. You are right in one thing nox - what a wasted life this bloke seems to have had,

[bednobs]

actually i don't thin redemption was the word i was looking for - it definately begins with r though, but most annoyingly i can't think of it

[Orderlimit]

Nox, of course I don't want revenge, read what I have written and the comment i replied to. (and read my other comments)

This was a dangerous serious repeat offender, a menace to society and yet again the public put in danger after inappropriate custodial time spent in HMP's, no doubt one of the establishments with a soft regime.

[barney4444]

Thats it knock the c*** out of them in jail, then they won`t re-offend, how long can people keep thinking anything along these lines will help..

[NOX]

Orderlimit - ''no doubt one of the establishments with a soft regime''.
You've never spent time in prison I see.

[NOX]

I think you are thinking of 'rehabilitation', bednobs.

[gness]

Now hang on a minute NOX. My attitude is hindering your work? I don't think so!
You aren't the only person here trying to make a difference. My whole working life was with problem children. I worked in a centre for teenagers who had committed crimes, were waiting for a court appearance and had been expelled from school. Every one of us did more than we were paid for to help those kids and I still remember, and think about every youth I worked with. That's how much they mattered to me.
If, five years later, I read in the paper that they were to appear in court it wasn't my fault. It was his/her fault. They knew right from wrong....they had been given opportunities and help and had rejected it.
I'm sure what you do is admirable but don't ever say that I contribute to the actions of the man who was robbing the bookmakers.

[Orderlimit]

Blimey Nox your making a few assumptions here

[NOX]

ANYONE, anyone at all ( especially those who have worked with 'problem' people) who display attitudes such as you appeared to on your initial response are in my opinion part of the problem. I'm sorry if that offends you, but it is my honest opinion. If you cannot express sadness and regret at the demise of a human being then I question your integrity AS a human being.
It's all well and good doing admirable work, but if you lack the very basic milk of human kindness to see that this is a tragedy, then yes, you DO add to the problem.

[gness]

Thank you NOX.

[NOX]

Perhaps I am orderlimit, I'm beginning to be honest to wonder why I'm still on the site at all, as with each passing day I find myself more and more at odds with the majority opinion that recently seems to have started prevailing. Maybe time to move on.
Have you been to prison?

[gness]

Last week I read that one of my lads was imprisoned for racially abusing and attacking another man. Broke my heart...what a bloody waste I thought. Now I see it's me who has wasted her life.

[bednobs]

problem is NOX, that this site is but a microcosm of real life. You may be able to leave this site, but you'll still live in the real world, where i think you will find the attitudes you don't like will still prevail

[DTCwordfan]

Tragic but his own fault.

A habitual criminal trying to break his downward cycle of life decides to return to his old ways and pull a stupid stunt involving a gas mask and a replica gun. Beejeezus, just as with the woman and the store owner he last pulled this one, if I had been a customer or the Ladbrokes' staff, I would be crapping myself.

He does not talk to his family or any mentor about this, his want to commit or whatever was driving him. He goes ahead and does it, intent on grabbing some dosh (£600 on his previous attack - and NOX, that was what it was, an attack - robbery - with arms).

If I had been in that shop or any branch and I saw an opportunity to jump someone like him, I would.....and I think most men would and I can think of a few women would as well. At least I hope I would, having been in some nasty situations as to rescues before.

And am I going to sit on him and say, "Hello, nice man, are you ok, are you breathing, oh we'll get off you so you can flay out and flee." Like bloody hell am I. He stays there until the police arrive and I am not going to take any chances with this turd at all - as he could end up injuring us.......

Yes it's a shame, but the question to ask is not about the people in the shop that evening or the police here - they have done the right thing. It is with the family and his social service support - and perhaps the prison system in "Could we have done more, why did he do this, what drove him to do it."

Or did he want to go down spectacularly?

The autopsy may reveal more. So we must also stop our speculation at this point.