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A man who was photographed urinating against or through the wall of the Houses of Parliament has been sent to prison for two weeks. The fact that trial and sentence was so quick and that somebody called the Chief Magistrate (a title devised by New Labour in 2000) delivered the sentence suggests an example is being made.
The Avon and Somerset Constabulary made clear their sympathy with the reasons for which the statue in Bristol was thrown into the sea, even though they regretted law-breaking.
I don't like the way England has become a nation of police informers but he did deserve to be arrested and charged and did deserve a not too heavy fine. Poor man, after many pints of beer he had little choice.
The BLM protesters who defaced statues and even threw one into the sea meanwhile have not been charged.
The BLM protesters who defaced statues and even threw one into the sea meanwhile have not been charged.
“I accept you were drunk and did not know where you were urinating.
"Your explanation is you had 16 pints to drink, you hadn't been to bed, and a group of football supporters were coming up to protect the monuments.
"The irony is rather than protecting the monuments, you almost urinated on one. That was more by luck than judgment.
"You showed no respect at the time for a man killed while protecting the Houses of Parliament."
I wonder why judges and magistrates feel the need to deliver these smug sermons.
Had he been protesting for rather than against Black Lives Matter, do you think he would be in prison now?
If so, I have a bridge I want to sell you.
Why did he deserve a fine? There is no general law against urinating in public, and it is certainly not a common law offence. There might be a local by-law, but if there is one it is quite puzzling if it has anything except a fine attached to it. Anyway, if the man had drunk twelve pints (which is also not an offence) and had to go, he had to go. Do please explain why he deserved a fine.
ReplyDeleteWhy did he deserve a fine?
DeleteIt does seem like the kind of incredibly minor social infraction that a competent police officer should be able to deal with without having to arrest someone. I'm sure that in the now long-gone days when Britain had reasonably competent police it would have been dealt with without an arrest being made.