Wednesday 16 September 2009

Hey, The Justice System Does Work After All!

But the jury at Manchester Crown Court decided that the “plan” to detonate a series of bombs at Audenshaw School, Manchester, and use high-powered guns to pick off survivors, was no more than a teenage fantasy.
The fact that they had no guns, and no realistic means of obtaining them, might have helped with that....
The prosecution alleged that both boys intended to launch an attack that would be their joint epitaph and an indelible tribute to their American “brothers”.

They were only prevented from carrying it out, said Peter Wright, QC, prosecuting, because police arrested them six weeks before the “massacre” was due to happen.
You mean, the fact they had no guns and no bombs wasn't what prevented them from carrying it out?

How odd...

10 comments:

Eckersalld said...

If they were that serious, guns are available in Manchester, and if you don't know the right people, but have an interest in metalwork, you can make an assault rifle from scratch.

As for explosives, ahhhh the things I could do with the chemicals in a school or college lab if I was loon.

Lucky the government of day wasn't so jumpy when I was in my teens, I once discussed how I could break in arms warehouse. Teenage foolery, aided by booze.

No idea if these lads are future nutters, or just frustrated teens, but this case seems pointless as if they wanted to cause death destruction, it's very easy if you're of a mind, and since their plans didn't include how they'd achieve that, they really weren't all that serious if you ask me.

Sue said...

Oh Dear, do Police Officers and Barristers need GCSE's these days?

James Higham said...

They don't appear to be completely with it, those two.

blueknight said...

I understand that it went right up to the Attorney General who authorised proscution.
Just wondering what else may have been written in their diaries.

woman on a raft said...

Blue Knight

The BBC says that, but there is a very good chance that they are wrong. I can't see why this would have gone beyond Keir Starmer, head of the CPS, although he is answerable to the Attorney General.

If Starmer did take it to her, it can only be because he wanted her backside on the line for it. This is odd; if he was in that situation, he should have dropped the case.

Still, if you allow that the A-G personally signed off the prosecution, then I have an explanation for that. Notwithsanding that the commentator The Fat Bigot thinks highly of Baroness Scotland, I do not share his opinion. She has a family court background and really, she's just not up to the criminal law. She got the job because she ticks two boxes (black and female) and because she is a Labour Uncle Tom.

The bottom line is this was another satanic panic. They needed, wanted, to believe that they had foiled a plot, and so ignored all contrary evidence and indeed, the lack of evidence.

They can write what the damn well like in a diary or notebook - the CPS still has to show that it is a conspiracy rather than a lurid screenplay.

They couldn't, because it isn't.

JuliaM said...

"If they were that serious, guns are available in Manchester..."

Even sniper rifles?

Well, it is Manchester, I suppose!

"Just wondering what else may have been written in their diaries."

Does it matter? Without the means or opportunity, I can't see how they could be considered a threat.

If plotting elaborate murder schemes is a crime, I expect Mark Billingham and Stuart McBride to be banged up any day now.

"Still, if you allow that the A-G personally signed off the prosecution, then I have an explanation for that. Notwithsanding that the commentator The Fat Bigot thinks highly of Baroness Scotland, I do not share his opinion."

Ah, that's the one who hasn't realised that, like Ceaser's wife, she needs to make damn sure she's above reproach, isn't it?

"The bottom line is this was another satanic panic. They needed, wanted, to believe that they had foiled a plot, and so ignored all contrary evidence and indeed, the lack of evidence."

And, just like in the Orkney Satanic panic, and the Cleveland one, they knew they could rely on the sensationalist press to do half their work for them...

JuliaM said...

Caesar’s wife, even!

Anonymous said...

I have just had a little chat with Crun junior who takes his GCSEs this year...warning him to be careful what he writes about in his English essays lest it be misconstrued as sedition.

Tony said...

Should have seen the firework my mates and i made from stolen chemicals from school.
Come to think of it you probably did if you were around then, you could probably see it from space .
Got a stern telling off from my dad when he'd regained his sight and hearing. LOL

blueknight said...

woman on a raft,
I do not disagree with you!
This of course is the same attorney general who helped draft the law that makes it a criminal offence to employ an illegal immigrant, and then did exactly that.
My 'just wondering' was whether there was something in the diaries that influenced the prosecution decision, such as a reference to a right wing political party.
It is my guess that since the prosecution was not successful. none of the real story will come out.
I can well imagine that the two involved would have been arrested and questioned under any regime, but for the case to go as far as it did, there must be more to it than teenage scribble in a diary