Monday 6 June 2011

Wheel Out The Old Excuses…

Ashley Cooper rained down punches and kicks on 18-year-old Jamie Smith as his victim lay prone in Abingdon Precinct.

The 17-year-old attacker, who the Oxford Mail can name after a judge lifted reporting restrictions, fractured Mr Smith’s arm as he tried to protect his face.
Long criminal history, perchance?

Oh, of course:
Cooper, of John Morris Road, Abingdon, has a history of violent offending including battery, affray, having an offensive weapon, threatening behaviour and possessing a bladed article.

In March 2009 he twice stabbed a female victim and had been released on licence from a young offenders’ institution just a month before attacking Abingdon College student Mr Smith on February 9.
That worked well, then. Clearly a rehabilitated character….

So what caused this most uncharacteristic outburst of aggression towards Mr Smith?
Jon Sank, prosecuting at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, said: “The victim was being called names by a girl at his college. That girl’s ex-boyfriend was the defendant who was not a student at the college.
Oh, right, it’s all perfectly clear now, thanks for that…

The defence needed to limber up for this one:
Sophie Murray, defending, said her client had suffered with “alcohol and cannabis abuse”
It rather sounds like it’s everyone else that suffers, Sophie love.
… and had attempted to commit suicide after seeing a number of childhood friends die.
Sadly, he proved as ineffectual at that as he did at going straight.
She added: “He clearly grew up seeing violence meted out on his mother.

“There was violence in the family situation from his father and step-father.

“He has had no strong male role models in his life.”
He’ll have a few in jail, I bet…

6 comments:

Captain Haddock said...

Yep .. I'm sure that "Bubba" & "Leroy" will waste no time in turning Smith into their "bitch" the first time he bends for the dropped soap... Ha ha ..

Captain Haddock said...

Sorry .. I meant to say "Cooper" ...

Apologies to Smith ..

Bucko said...

"had suffered with “alcohol and cannabis abuse”…"

Suffered? He abuses booze and drugs and he is suffering?

Oh FFS!

Bill Quango MP said...

He’ll have a few in jail, I bet…

You feel this case warrants that kind of extreme punishment?

Surely 12 hours community service is sufficient?

Woman on a Raft said...

Grrr.....you need a label to collect the 'kick in the head' cases.

He later admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

So he's on for a 1/3 discount for admitting the offence and it is still short of attempted murder.

The sentencing manual gives various examples, see AG's Ref No 14 of 2008 (Cook)[2009] 1 Cr.App.R.(S.) 62 which involves a victim's broken arm whilst protecting the head from a kicking.

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/sentencing_manual/wounding_or_inflicting_grievous_bodily_harm_with_intent/

The sentence was thought to be lenient so the AG queried it and the sentence was increased to 5 years. (That one went to trial).

So assuming 5 years is the going-rate with a 1/3 discount for not mucking about at trial, gives 40 months (60 minus 20 months.)

Recorder Rabinder Singh jailed Cooper for 30 months.

On the low side. Maybe the AG will appeal it.

JuliaM said...

"Suffered? He abuses booze and drugs and he is suffering?"

Purely self-inflicted, of course. So - unusually for me - I find myself with zero sympathy. How strange.

Still, it's better than the phrase 'struggling with alcohol/drugs'. When most seem to surrender with no struggle at all...

"You feel this case warrants that kind of extreme punishment?"

Yup!

"...you need a label to collect the 'kick in the head' cases."

It does seem to be a meme lately, doesn't it?