Thursday 20 December 2012

How Is This Not Attempted Murder?

The suspects fled to a red Hyundai car and as the police sergeant stood in the road and raised his hand to stop it Togher accelerated into him, the court heard.
The impact lifted him off his feet, said Mr Doherty, but the officer gave chase and caught up with Togher when her escape was blocked at a junction.
If you drive a half-tionne of metal and glass at someone at speed, how are you not attempting to kill them?
Heroin addict Togher, of Martock Road, Bedminster, was jailed for a total of 11 months yesterday after pleading guilty to theft, dangerous driving and assault with intent to resist arrest at an earlier hearing.
*speechless*
Judge Grainger disqualified Togher from driving for two years.
That's just adding insult to injury!!

14 comments:

Blue Eyes said...

Sounds like a plea-bargain. Officially they don't exist. In real life the CPS saves itself a huge amount of time getting perps to plead guilty to lesser offences to save the CPS actually having to prove a difficult case.

Anonymous said...

What Blue Eyes said. Also, part of her driving ban will take place while she's inside (all 5 months and 14 days before being released on good behaviour - decided before she is even driven through the gates of the prison), so she won't have the ability to, er, drive! I sometimes think that the judicial system in this country was devised by Kafka, although if he had written this, then people would have suggested he really was fantasising!

Anonymous said...

No doubt MTG will now be claiming that Togher wasn't even in the car, the Police Sgt was never hit by the car and any witnesses were all off-duty Police officers who weren't even there!

MTG said...

A Sergeant, who by his account sustained no injuries following the heroic impact which gave him wings and a shoplifter who loads a Hyundai car with Matalan clothes worth £300 and still has room to get inside.

This could be significant, Julia. Any other miracles reported on this day?

Anonymous said...

Bunny

Hardly a difficult case though is it, 11 months and a two year driving ban. It also says 'mother of two' how about the more accurate, bred two but hardly cares. Some real punishment for this woman would make a change, first of all getting her off heroin, so she isn't causing damage to those around her might be a start. Perhaps forcing her to be an adult would be the next thing.

The Meissen Bison said...

It also says 'mother of two' how about the more accurate, bred two but hardly cares

How about "whelped"?

Anonymous said...

Bunny

Mr Bison I understand your comments re whelped and also I realise that my 'bred' implies some thought has gone into the process, rather than uncontrolled sexual gratification. For example a lurcher is the process of breeding, whereas a whelp is the process of uncontrolled breeding. Yes you have a point, my only disagreement is that mongrels can prove good pets.

Tatty said...

Bunny - "...getting her off heroin, so she isn't causing damage to those around her...

Well it *might* remove the excuse for what she's done. Whether it stops her causing damage to those around her is another story.

Julia *this* is why this isn't Attempted Murder. Drug addicts are not responsible for their actions ergo they cannot be held responsible.

Bugger the fact that heroin is illegal to start with, eh.

Might as well legalise the lot and save the courts the hassle of prosecuting ALL drug-related crime.

Crime statistics would drop like a stone and this'd be the safest country on earth to live in.

On paper, anyway. :/

The Meissen Bison said...

my only disagreement is that mongrels can prove good pets

Agreed.

The same holds true for all animal metaphors. I was toying (so to speak) with "farrow" but I have known charming sows possessed of greater discernment than the heroine of this tale.

jaded said...

Todays miracle-a post by Melvin that we can all understand.

Furor Teutonicus said...

XX who loads a Hyundai car with Matalan clothes worth £300 and still has room to get inside. XX

Ach, come ON Melvin. That could be a pair of socks and a coat-hanger from that firm!

JuliaM said...

"Sounds like a plea-bargain. Officially they don't exist."

:/

"Also, part of her driving ban will take place while she's inside.."

GAH!!! FAIL!

"...a shoplifter who loads a Hyundai car with Matalan clothes worth £300 and still has room to get inside. "

SNORK!

"It also says 'mother of two' how about the more accurate, bred two but hardly cares. "

Spot on, sadly. Another set of doomed kids.

MTG said...

@ FT

"That could be a pair of socks and a coat-hanger from that firm!"

You are thinking of Harvey Nichols, where the tag on a pair of shoes is sufficient to give cold feet and the café tariff dispels all hunger and thirst.

Furor Teutonicus said...

Correct Melvy!

I WAS trying to be a little...sarcastic. Pity there is no smiley for such. :-)