Lyam Ridley, 31, admitted threatening Mihir Amin, a worker at Cellar Plus, in Whitmore Way,Basildon, with a 7ins blade.
Mr Amin, 44, used a stool l from behind the counter to keep the knifeman at bay and refused to hand over any money.
As he appeared at Basildon Crown Court for sentencing, Ridley, of Gobions, Basildon, collapsed in the dock during a suspected epileptic seizure.
Hah! Like
that’s going to work, matey!
Judge Adrian Williams QC took pity on him, suspended his 18-month prison sentence.
Oh.
Jumoke Hughes, mitigating, said Ridley was addicted to class A drugs at the time of the attempted robbery on Saturday, July 11, and had been put up to it by a friend.
She said: “Ridley’s health has deteriorated somewhat, specifically his epilepsy. He is currently staying with family in Norwich as the level of seizures he is experiencing at the moment, he needs to stay with his family.”
Funny how his ‘disability’ didn’t seem to affect his life of crime, eh?
Sentencing, Judge Williams QC told him: “Robbery is taken extremely seriously by the courts, particularly an attempted robbery which involves the use of a weapon.
“The victim of this particular robbery feared for his life.
“A period of imprisonment is inevitable in almost every case, but having regard to the particular circumstances in this case, in that the defendant pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, is a man of good character and has a number of health difficulties, I am willing to suspend the sentence.”
Yes, yes, we all know that the legal term ‘a man of good character’ just means he hasn’t been found guilty of anything else, but come on..!
Mr Amin said he was disappointed with the sentence.
You’re not alone.
Another case where what should be an exacerbating factor - using Class A drugs - is treated instead as part of a suit of get-out-of-jail-free cards.
ReplyDeleteI have never understood why under the influence of drink and/or drugs is a credible defence. If the effect is to make a person behave badly when taking them then do not take them. I am not the same person if I drink too much I do not know what I would be like on drugs having never taken any. Fortunately because I am a happy drunk the worst I do is embarrass myself if however my behaviour became unsavoury then it falls on me to ensure I do not overindulge. It is no one else responsibility(although in today's environment where entitlement and dependency rules supreme then perhaps it can be argued that is the states fault) and if I commit a criminal act because of overindulgence then I should expect the full weight of the law to be applied to me. It was not me but my alter ego that did it seems rather a flimsy excuse.
ReplyDeleteSuspended sentence you say? Seems there's a lot of it about.. http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/axe-terror-outside-asda-store-11051579
ReplyDeleteI believe that in the Old Soviet Union being drunk or under the influence of drugs was seen as an aggravating factor and could earn you an extended spell in a gulag.
ReplyDeleteRetired
A man of good character? What do you have to do these days to be disreputable?
ReplyDeleteSo Ridley is an epileptic? Who said so? Did anyone verify this claim? After the humanitarian decision of imposing a suspended sentence, will Ridley now do an Ernest Saunders and be magically cured of his ailment? Just how naïve does someone have to be to become a magistrate?
ReplyDeletePenseivat
"I have never understood why under the influence of drink and/or drugs is a credible defence."
ReplyDeleteMe neither. It isn't in road accidents, is it?!
"Seems there's a lot of it about.. "
GAH!
"A man of good character? What do you have to do these days to be disreputable?"
It's quite a challenge!
"Did anyone verify this claim? "
I'd like to see the Casualty admittance form...