Seriously... WTF?

[corozin 0]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/linc ... 494422.stm

 

"A man has been jailed for four years for causing the deaths of a couple by dangerous driving in Lincolnshire - despite not being behind the wheel. John Nichols was in the passenger seat as the car hit Mark Crompton and Jodie Brown on the A1 near Grantham in 2007. Driver Mary Butres, who was speeding and drink-driving, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years last month.

 

Businessman Nichols, of Manor Road, Carlby, had earlier denied causing death by dangerous driving. He was also banned from driving for four years and ordered to pay £19,420 in costs at Nottingham Crown Court"

 

I mean seriously, this bloke has been sent to prison for 4 years, banned for 4 years and fined almost £20,000 when he was sitting in the passenger seat? Is this what the world is coming to? Is it just me or does this seem just a bit bonkers?

[Philuk 0]

its because he was aware that the driver was over the limit. bit crappy really but i wouldnt get in a car with someone who was tanked up personally?

[Andy665 0]

I can sort of see the logic in him being prosecuted but there is an appalling lack of consistency in sentencing. is being the pasenger in a car being driven by someone over the limit really a more serious crime of having no licence, no insurance etc where the standard sentence is a long way from being a custodial one

[colinstubbs 0]

Biggest problem with the entire judical system is the lack of consistency. :cuckoo:

[Critical_Mass 10]

So whats the driver got? :shrug:

 

So if he knew the driver was drunk but hadnt got in the car and the accident still happened. Would he have been prosecuted still?

[Jon_vr6 1]

The law is shite in this country and as said above no consistancy atall. If you kill someone in cold blood you die yourself, if you steal you lose a hand simples!

[VR6Joni 0]

The law is **** in this country and as said above no consistancy atall. If you kill someone in cold blood you die yourself, if you steal you lose a hand simples!

 

Couldn't agree more :clap:

 

And another one, immigrant commits a crime = extradition!

[mimjed 0]

And another one, immigrant commits a crime = extradition!

 

dont get me started mate i used to work for the prison service, the immagration policy is a sham.

 

as for injustice theres a lad in jail at the moment. samuel stanger. he got two years for taking a camera out of the hands of a traffic warden. on the same day a crack dealer was given community service????

 

fu**ing absolute bo**ocks.

 

sorry :hitler:

[Guest]

I don't disagree with the general inconsistency stuff etc but it does say he handed his keys to his partner and asked her to drive knowing that she had been drinking too, just not as much as him. Which I recon makes him pretty much at fault too.

 

You go out drinking with a mate, decide you have had too much to drive your own car home so ask your drinking partner to drive instead. It's not good and you are definitely not a total innocent in the situation.

[Critical_Mass 10]

I don't disagree with the general inconsistency stuff etc but it does say he handed his keys to his partner and asked her to drive knowing that she had been drinking too, just not as much as him. Which I recon makes him pretty much at fault too.

 

You go out drinking with a mate, decide you have had too much to drive your own car home so ask your drinking partner to drive instead. It's not good and you are definitely not a total innocent in the situation.

 

I can see where you're coming from, but its not illegal to ask someone else whos been drinking too, to drive. His wife should have said no, though you would have thought he would have had the sense to think not to ask. i wouldnt dream of putting my other half in that situation.

[millerman 0]

ask your self this question would you get in to the passenger seat of a car with somebody you know to be over the limit of drink

and would you as a sober person allow that person to drive with you in the car

 

if so your as guilty as the drunk next to you

[andy 0]

The terminology is ludicrous. You can't cause death by dangerous driving if you're not driving. FACT.

What if he had handed the keys to someone sober, they had then proceeded to drive like a t1t and subsequently killed someone. Would he be guilty of the same thing there. Especially if the driver had a history of driving like a t1t....

 

He is obviously partly responsible, and deserves to be held accountable to some degree, but 4 years for dangerous driving.....come on.

[corozin 0]

For my part I actually agree that this bloke should have been punished. I just can't help thinking that 4 years and a £20k fine/costs is just a bit out of proportion to his act.

 

In this case he appears to have been sentenced in view of the consequences of the resulting accident (and nobody was forcing the woman to drive were they) rather that the offence.

[dgtvr6 0]

Don't agree that he was punished at all!

 

If someone asks you to drive an dyou have been drinking say no... Simple as that really. the decision to drink and drive was not his, is not related to him asking and has no connection to him in any way...

 

The way this is going do I now have to grab people in the street who I believe may not be very good drivers "just in case"? I suppose I'll have to pop round my nans for example and take her keys away as she is getting on a bit now and isn't really too safe anymore.... Just more insanity for the country... Reckon I'll emigrate...

[andy 0]

I suppose I'll have to pop round my nans for example and take her keys away as she is getting on a bit now and isn't really too safe anymore.... Just more insanity for the country... Reckon I'll emigrate...

Spot on, where will it stop?

[Critical_Mass 10]

ask your self this question would you get in to the passenger seat of a car with somebody you know to be over the limit of drink

and would you as a sober person allow that person to drive with you in the car

 

if so your as guilty as the drunk next to you

 

 

To an extent he's accountable but as already said, death by dangerous driving and banned from driving?!

[Phil K 0]

Completely over the top but I do agree that the passenger obviously played a role in this. I think the sentance is over the top and I also dont agree with the ban!

 

There needs to be much more consistancy in how people are sentanced in this country!

[dgtvr6 0]

ask your self this question would you get in to the passenger seat of a car with somebody you know to be over the limit of drink

and would you as a sober person allow that person to drive with you in the car

 

if so your as guilty as the drunk next to you

 

 

To an extent he's accountable but as already said, death by dangerous driving and banned from driving?!

 

 

Why is he accountable at all? Are we not all responsible solely for our own actions? If someone I know turns out to be a paedophile am I then guilty of that as well? Even being considered guilty of an associated offence would be wrong in my view. We each decide our own actions and make our own decisions and should stand by them whether they be good or bad.

 

Do NOT believe that he has done anything wrong at all... I would go as far as saying he is a victim of the drink driver in that he has gone through the trauma of the accident because some selfish ar$e decided that drink driving is ok for the night... Far from being charged with anything he should be claiming compensation (yes yes I know compensation culture etc and I disagree with it but am making a point here ok!).

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Biggest problem with the entire judical system is the lack of consistency. :cuckoo:

 

Unfortunately the 'law' has been built up from 100,000s of precedents over many, many years. Chances are this particular case was the first of it's kind to go to court, and therefore the initial punishment might seem unfitting for the crime, but future cases will see a tougher penalty.

 

I know the Jury decided the verdict, but who decides the severity of the punishment?

 

It's that area which needs a complete overhaul / reform imo....

 

I just don't get this country anymore. It feels like everything big business and the legal system do is done to antagonise already fraught and p1ssed off people and cause yet more public outrage. Do these feckers never consider the public reaction of their actions? Like community service for manslaughter and 5 years for speeding, and banks using our money to pay themselves bonuses & burglars have more rights than the land owners etc? It beggars belief these people think it's acceptable.

 

It's all a constant battle with human rights these days. Why should anyone who causes death have any feckin rights at all?

[Critical_Mass 10]

ask your self this question would you get in to the passenger seat of a car with somebody you know to be over the limit of drink

and would you as a sober person allow that person to drive with you in the car

 

if so your as guilty as the drunk next to you

 

 

To an extent he's accountable but as already said, death by dangerous driving and banned from driving?!

 

 

Why is he accountable at all? Are we not all responsible solely for our own actions? If someone I know turns out to be a paedophile am I then guilty of that as well? Even being considered guilty of an associated offence would be wrong in my view. We each decide our own actions and make our own decisions and should stand by them whether they be good or bad.

 

Do NOT believe that he has done anything wrong at all... I would go as far as saying he is a victim of the drink driver in that he has gone through the trauma of the accident because some selfish ar$e decided that drink driving is ok for the night... Far from being charged with anything he should be claiming compensation (yes yes I know compensation culture etc and I disagree with it but am making a point here ok!).

 

I would say he's accoutable up to the point where he asked his wife to drive knowing she was drunk, although as i said in a previous post, he should have had the sense not to ask her (and even more sense not to get drunk in the first place). IMO if he'd not asked her to drive and she'd got into the drivers seat on her own accord then he wouldnt have taken any blame.

[dgtvr6 0]

In that case we would all be to blame for any crime we know may happen but do nothing about... refer back to earlier comments re grans keys.

 

On another point.. How stupid are these people? Surely they could have simply suggested he didn't ask her to drive at all or said "Are you ok to drive darling as I am drunk or have you had too much?".

 

Still not agreeing that he has done anything wrong though... She chose to drive and it really isn't material who asked her what.

[Wullie 1]

It's all a constant battle with human rights these days. Why should anyone who causes death have any feckin rights at all?

 

In my opinion when anyone is convicted of a crime the first part of any sentence should be a statement removing their so called human rights until their release date. Anyone entering your property should also be deemed to have left their right at the point of entry. This would also stop criminals claiming compensation for slopping out, a warder using a loud voice at night and disturbing their sleep, or my favourite, the prisoner who was awarded compensation as his leg was broken while trying to escape. A warder prevented his escape too vigourously.

 

In this case there are so many unknows apart from im asking his wife to drive. Hypothetical question, is he a wife beater or bully to the extent that she would be afraid to say no? On the other hand did she willingly take on the responsibility. To many unknows for a resoned discussion but I do think it's a bit extreme.

[corozin 0]

Well I knew I wouldn't have to wait long for a suitable "compare & contrast" story, and here is is:

 

UK's drunkest recorded driver jailed for just 4 months despite being six times over the limit

A Polish man who drove whilst almost six times over the alcohol limit - the highest level ever recorded in the UK - has been jailed for what a magistrate has branded a 'reckless disregard for life bordering on the suicidal'

 

Link :http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1248516/UKs-drunkest-driver-times-limit-jailed.html

 

So there you have it, British Court sentancing; bloke jailed for 4 years + £20k fine despite being in the passenger street, whilst another gets just 4 months despite driving six times over the limit.

[colinstubbs 0]

....where will it stop?

 

When all the pissed people stop fecking driving.

[dgtvr6 0]

....where will it stop?

 

When all the pissed people stop fecking driving.

 

here here!!!

 

Feckers deserve to get thrown in jail for many years! Should NOT matter if they actually have an accident or injure anyone either... Think about it, if a terrorist was to take an AK47 and randomly shoot up the high street (any high street) but happened to not kill/injure anyone surely he would have to go to prison? Is there any difference between this and drink driving?