Is justice blind?

[Oneeyedvic]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/82 25778.stm

A blind man who complained to police about cars parking on a pavement was arrested when he threatened to let down the vehicles' tyres.
Daniel Duckfield, from Narberth, Pembrokeshire, said he and his guide dog had to walk in the road when paths were blocked by illegally-parked cars.
He has complained about being cautioned and put in a cell after his arrest.

My first reactions on reading the article were sympathy with Mr Duckfield (and curiosity as to how he would let the tyres down since he was blind and the valves are pretty small).

But of course this is vigilante action - and surely it can't be condoned.

Should the fact that he is blind / disabled come into play?

If this was a mother with a pram or a person in a wheelchair, as with Mr Duckfield then there would be a lot of sympathy - but if it was just a 'white able bodied male in his 30s' would you have the same sympathy?

Try reading the article again but put in 'unemployed 18 year old youth' instead of 'a blind man' and see if you have the same degree of sympathy.

[ludwig]

The mistake he made was expecting sympathy from the police and trying to get something done by threatening to let the tyres down.
He should have threatened nothing and just run a key down the side of the cars as he squeezed past them.

[Iggle Piggle]

I found a police 'safety camera' van (or revenue generator van) parked with its rear wheels just on the end of double yellow lines. I told the guy sitting inside I had taken a picture and was going to complain to his superior. He told me he had a right to park where he needed. I told him that was utter barlocks, to which he leaned forward and told me to get away from the camera or he would come out and arrest me for obstructing a police officer in his duty. I took his shoulder number and complained ! I have seen the same van since but never the same officer in it.

[New Judge]

Don't fall for the popular miconception that every "arrestable" offence carries a five year custodial sentence, dan.

Many arrestable offences exist where much lesser maximum penalties apply.

By the way, I've not heard of the offence you mention.