Unemployed Ben Emerson, 21, targeted seven businesses in Rochford town centre and caused £1,230 damage in the early hours of October 8 last year.How? Simple – drunken vandalism:
Emerson broke the windows of the Royal Tandoori restaurant, the Beehive Tearooms, picture framing company Frame It, insurance brokers Genesis Risk Solutions, Aztec event organisers, Haynes Florists and the Marlborough Head pub.And the penalty for this? Does it fit the crime?
Well, what do you think?
He gave Emerson a year-long community order, told him to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work, and ordered him to pay £50 compensation to each business – the total of £350 will be deducted from his benefits.The insurers will have to swallow the rest, which will then push up everyone’s premiums.
Deputy district judge Booker told Emerson: “The incident is a very sad one, because you’ve had a good character up to this present time.It’ll have to be, won’t it? Because, by god, the justice system is incapable of providing one….
“You’re a young man, and now you’ve blemished your record.
“That is in itself your punishment.”
This encapsulates the essential rottenness in our justice system. Firstly no restitution. The guilty should pay for the harm they have caused, in this case for every penny of the damage. Secondly no retribution. The guilty should pay the same amount twice, so what they did is visited on them. Both sums of money should go to the victims. Thirdly, no punishment worthy of the name. Fourthly, no deterrent. Fifthly, why has such a petty matter taken so long to get to court?
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to stop reading this blog. It's just too damn depressing :(
ReplyDeleteI moved to this country for a better life. I've served my countries (both of them) in uniform. I've tried to improve my communities. But all that is left for me is to shut myself out from all of this. There really is no redemption for societies in most of the world today.
Is this not why many shops have now resorted to civil actions against people who shoplift or damage their property. Why not get a court judgement against the miscreant and enforce it if and when he gets some money.
ReplyDeletemake him eat glass!
ReplyDeleteFor those with a sense of shame, having a blemish on their record is indeed punishment.
ReplyDeleteFor those without shame, meh....
The unemployment benefit must be indeed generous if he can afford to get drunk on it.
ReplyDelete"...why has such a petty matter taken so long to get to court?"
ReplyDeleteNo doubt waiting for all the various agents of the state to prepare their lengthy reports...
" There really is no redemption for societies in most of the world today."
It does seem like it sometimes. I'm just consoling myself with the thought that there's more of us than of them.
For now.
"Is this not why many shops have now resorted to civil actions against people who shoplift or damage their property."
Yup.
"The unemployment benefit must be indeed generous if he can afford to get drunk on it."
He must have sourced some of that mythical 'lager cheaper than water' that the bansturbators are always whinging about!