Nicholas Berry, defending, said when the trial reports appeared daily in the Worcester News he was inundated with letters of support for Swinburn.
He said he had an unprecedented number of people – more than 60 – contact him, ranging from members of the police and fire service to parish councillors and people from a variety of professions.
They all praised Swinburn as a responsible and hard-working man who was well known for raising money for various charities. He was a man of “impeccable” character.
He said there had been a series of incidents involving Swinburn and his family and the youths, including nuisance calls and graffiti, and he had become dissatisfied that it had not been resolved.Of course, as far as the authorities were concerned, it had been 'resolved':
No one had been charged over the incidents though five youths had been given harassment warnings, Mr Berry said.And now Mr Swinburn will likely lose his job, and maybe his house, and we can't even have the names of the two-legged vermin who drove him to it.
To 'protect' them. Because they're 'vulnerable youths'...
Of course, a story like this always brings out those with an axe to gringd in the comments:
Uniform58 says...
I can never understand people making assumptions on things . The man was loathed by many people . He often reported his regulars in his pub for drink driving when they had ent been in the pub that night.Gosh. What a monster, eh?
MERIK1103 says...
It all started when his son fell out with lads, instead of letting the lads sort it out he got involved trying be the big man. If he had left them to it this would have never happened, instead he thought it was big to threaten them bearing in mind that at the time they would all be minors bar one.Once again shows you his true character. Dont get me wrong I feel for his wife and children but he should have known better than to get involved with young lads who with all due respect havent got the sense or life skills that he should have had.You see, they are the real victims!
Small villages, eh? They really are like those in 'Midsomer Murders', all the resentment and petty feuds bubbling under the surface...
H/T: Robert Hale via email
Shame on the jury.
ReplyDeleteSurely though you cannot have someone taking the law into their own hands in this way? Using a 2 tonne 4 x 4 as a weapon of sorts. Driving fast and no doubt with a degree of recklessness down country lanes. What if he had hit a pedestrian(s)? Ok so he didn't. Will treating him gently deter the next person who comes to the conclusion that this is the sort of thing to do ....and then how soon before another road user is impacted?
ReplyDeleteI agree though that a lack of support and response to his problems would tend to drive him to recklessness. That still doesn't make it correct.
Paul.
"Shame on the jury."
ReplyDeletePerhaps they were from the village faction that seems to loathe him?
"Surely though you cannot have someone taking the law into their own hands in this way?"
No, indeed. But you'll get more people doing it, if it's the only way to resolve difficulties when they are committed by a protected identity group.
If memory serves, the film The Godfather starts with a man asking the Godfather for justice for his daughter that the conventional system has failed to deliver.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that people in the same position as this defendant might similarly, in future, consider it more worth their while to tip a few hundred quit to the local Thug-U-Like to have the problem dealt with thoroughly and effectively.
If the idea is occurring to me, then I imagine that there are other ordinary citizens who have also had this same idea and have acted on it.
It seems to me that the state of the British justice system is an open door to organised crime. (That is above and beyond the invitation presented by its perceived ineffectiveness)
MArk In Mayenne - " I imagine that there are other ordinary citizens who have also had this same idea and have acted on it.
ReplyDeleteRound my way 'twas ever thus and 'twill always be.
It's big business with many shops, houses ...even taxi cabs...carrying cards and displaying signs that proclaim their protection by certain "security firms".
Look closer in your own home town. There's a reason why crime statistics among certain age groups and especially the young appear high.
Only the young here settle their scores between themselves in public and then call the police on each other. Those of a certain age know and act much differently. Some say "better" ;)
"If memory serves, the film The Godfather starts with a man asking the Godfather for justice for his daughter that the conventional system has failed to deliver."
ReplyDeleteYup! Already, I'm a little suspicious that all the beatings and shootings the local rags cover with such scant detail aren't ALL drug related...