Looters in Court: Britain Sends Tough Signal with Fast-Track Justice

Der Spiegel ^ | August 11, 2011 | Matthias Gebauer

[Second Amendment First]

The British government has pledged to take a firm stance against those arrested during this week's riots. Courts across the country have been working around the clock to deal with the flood of cases. The hearings provide an insight into Britain's frustrated and violent underclass.

John M. is desperate. The 43-year-old, who is wearing torn jeans, stumbles aimlessly around in the corridors of London's Highbury Corner Magistrates Court, begging for help. M., who is from Liverpool, explains that he got a call on Wednesday morning, telling him that his 19-year-old son David had been arrested in London on Monday evening. The father doesn't know yet what his son, who lives in the London borough of Camden with his older brother, has been charged with. Neither can his son's court-appointed lawyer help him -- he hasn't seen the public prosecutor's documents.

"It could be that David took something when the looting began and the shops were standing open," John M. says. "But any one of us would have done the same." He looks at the SPIEGEL ONLINE reporter with wide eyes, seeking a sign of agreement.

[Second Amendment First]

Like looters and moochers everywhere these thugs consider themselves entitled to others property.

[expatguy]

A tough signal would have been to shoot the looters.

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

[mardi59]

The fruits of the entitlement mentality.

[dfwgator]

Hopefully they busted this guy, not just for looting, but for being stupid enough to post his picture with the booty.

[Maverick68]

No, you piece of garbage, the majority of us wouldn’t have...

[Tennessee Nana]

It could be that David took something when the looting began and the shops were standing open,” John M. says. “But any one of us would have done the same.”
________________________________________________

AH no

[SuzyQue]

Do they really think that is “tough”?

[Lurker]

“Anyone one of us would have done the same, right.”

No, a**hole, actually we wouldn’t. I hope your punk kid goes to prison for a thousand years.

[Little Ray]

"Any one of us would have done the same."

Somehow, I'm not feeling very sympathetic for John M. or his son.

When Terry, 32, appeared before the court in the late afternoon, the hearing didn't take long. According to the charges, the young man was arrested on Tuesday night in a broken-into phone shop in Camden as he was looking around for valuable loot. The judge turned down a request for a conditional release because of the suspect's record of repeatedly violating probation. On top of that, the police had also found cocaine and crack on the suspect.

When Terry was finally led off back to the basement, his red-haired sister, who was sitting in the public gallery, lost it. "You whore," she yelled at the female judge. "You don't give us a chance. The only thing you can think of is to lock us up."

The Brits missed a hell of an opportunity to clean up their gene pool.

[Second Amendment First]

When Terry was finally led off back to the basement, his red-haired sister, who was sitting in the public gallery, lost it. "You whore," she yelled at the female judge. "You don't give us a chance. The only thing you can think of is to lock us up."

Tough justice? The judge apparently didn't even hold this sista in contempt.

[OB1kNOb]

The court’s quick justice will probably be to give them a REALLY stern warning against doing that again..........

[vpintheak]

Without reading the article, are they spanking their bottom sna d sending them to bed with only 3/4 of their government checks?

[GeronL]

John M. says. "But any one of us would have done the same."

You must have been a heck of a good parent, idiot.

[B.O. Plenty]

A couple of well placed shots would end this quick...

...if not that, what?...

...if not now, when?...

[bvw]

When Terry was finally led off back to the basement, his red-haired sister, who was sitting in the public gallery, lost it. "You whore," she yelled at the female judge. "You don't give us a chance. The only thing you can think of is to lock us up."

Was Dr. Who standing next to the red-headed sister, cooing and nodding in agreement with how rotten the evil conservatives are?

[GeronL]

A speedy trial used to be a civil right now its a tough thing?

[Graneros]

"It could be that David took something when the looting began and the shops were standing open," John M. says. "But any one of us would have done the same."

The keywords being "any one of us." That is just so true. The "us" that he speaks of are simply ill bred animals that have no place in society at all as far as I'm concerned. I was raised a whole lot different than the "one of us" type of people. I'm not one of them and damn glad I'm not. Thank you Mother for teaching me proper.

[GeronL]

32 year old yute?

[GeronL]

Sound like quality human beings don’t they?

lol

/s

[from occupied ga]

And this from the a$$hole's father

"It could be that David took something when the looting began and the shops were standing open," John M. says. "But any one of us would have done the same." He looks at the SPIEGEL ONLINE reporter with wide eyes, seeking a sign of agreement.

Holy s**t - shoot the whole family and make the world a better place.

The judges, who can currently only decide between continued detention and conditional release, are under massive pressure

WOW - Conditional Release. That'll show 'em.