Friday 3 February 2012

You Wait Ages For Another Judge Beverley Lunt Case…

…and then two come along at once!
Burnley Crown Court heard how Paul Dwyer, 34, and father-of-two, Michael Dwyer, 28, were in an early afternoon confrontation with the man in Smith Street, Nelson.

Paul Dwyer was armed with nunchucks and Michael Dwyer smashed a house window.
The brothers fled when police arrived, but were later arrested.
Yes, well, that couldn’t have been difficult, they must be on first name terms with every custody sergeant in the county:
Both have records and Paul Dwyer has more than 145 previous convictions.
Good grief!
Martin Hackett, for Paul Dwyer said: “It was an ugly incident. He accepts it has to be custody.”
Oh, does he? How good of him!
For Michael Dwyer, Philip Holden, said the defendant and his brother were at the house when the man, a long standing heroin addict, turned up to buy drugs.

There was an argument between his brother and the man and he went to help his brother.

Mr Holden said: “He didn’t have any weapon himself. He accepts breaking the window. His role was to assist his brother and be present.”
That’s a defence?
Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt said there was no doubt the other man was wielding a very large knife, but the defendants nevertheless were out in the street, shouting and swearing.
Well, yes. Of course they were. That’s how people like them behave, when they are allowed to roam the streets.
She told the Dwyers that with their records, it had to be custody and said: “You know that behaviour is not acceptable.”
Do they? It seems to be a lesson they never learn, probably because judges like you are never teaching it to them…

Case in point:
A boxer who attacked a woman in a nightclub walked free from court, but was warned by a judge to grow up.
‘A judge’? Yeah, you guessed it…
Burnley Crown Court heard how drunken Aidan Whittle, 19, punched Gina Flanagan, giving her a bloody nose and swollen eye, in a Burnley club as she was on the dance floor with her partner.

Whittle had tried to put the victim in a headlock, she had pushed him away and he then hit her.
Lovely!
He was sent to detention for 20 weeks, suspended for 12 months, and must pay £250 compensation.
*sigh*
Judge Beverley Lunt said the boxer knew drink was dangerous as he lost his inhibitions.
How about losing yours, one day? Those inhibitions that stop you from sentencing thugs to exactly what they deserve?

6 comments:

Captain Haddock said...

"How about losing yours, one day? Those inhibitions that stop you from sentencing thugs to exactly what they deserve? " ..

Is it possible to lose one's inhibitions after a glass of sweet sherry ? ... ;)

Anonymous said...

@ haddock

It being so light on the mind, I love your wit almost as much as you do.

jaded said...

I know it shocks people when they hear how many previous convictions criminals can rack up and still be free.
A few years ago I nicked a man who was about 60.He had over 600 convictions.I worked out that he had been arrested at least once a month for his whole adult life.
Anyway after charging him I asked the Sergeant to keep him in custody because of his history.
The Sergeant agreed and part of the process allows the person charged who is refused bail to consult a solicitor straight after.
My chap got on the phone and rung his ambulance-chaser to give him the news.He had a very loud Scottish accent and every other word was F**K so we were all listening in.
He started ranting at the solicitor and the classic line he said was "they think i've got 600 previous but some bastard in Glasgow has used my name,i've only got about 400".He couldn't understand why we were rolling about laughing!!!
To be fair he did have a quite common name so he may have had a point!

JuliaM said...

"Is it possible to lose one's inhibitions after a glass of sweet sherry ? ... ;)"

Have you seen her? It wouldn't be sweet long, she'd turn it sour!

"He started ranting at the solicitor and the classic line he said was "they think i've got 600 previous but some bastard in Glasgow has used my name,i've only got about 400".He couldn't understand why we were rolling about laughing!!!"

LOL!

Anonymous said...

I remember when Lunt jailed an accountant for theft for two years and two months...ok this guy did wrong and should have been punished, but he stole partly as a result of a massive nervous breakdown due to the impending death of his wife from cancer and the knowledge he too was rapidly declining with second stage multiple sclerosis. This man had no previous convictions had not committed a violent crime and suffered a long history of depression psychological trauma and the rigours of MS....perhaps of he had been a violent thug, he would have been given more compassion. I think also of the case of the young soldier home on leave who was beaten senseless by thugs, again Lunt let them walk free citing cultural and social issues for them beating up a young Sapper ...Lunt is one of those disgraces to our legal system.

JuliaM said...

"Lunt is one of those disgraces to our legal system."

Along with Carol Hagen, who I see is in the news yet again... :/