Anyone feeling slightly uncomfortable with the scale of the sentencing after the riots?

As I said upthread, a Labour councillor incited a huge crowd to cut the throats of the rioters a few days ago. Should he get a lengthy prison sentence? Interested to see if consistency applies here.

The people of Oldham are well aware of the consequences of rioting from 2001 and there have been none of the shocking scenes seen in other towns. There was an iinquiry into segregation after the 2001 riots and communities are more integrated. Bringing up the grooming scandals that brought shame on Oldham in Rochdale is whataboutery and not relevant to the totally unrelated tragedy in Southport.

I do agree with you in that the msm has to take some personal responsibility for what they print - as it does whip up these kinds of feelings.

There was a fantastic programme on R4 earlier about it. On at about 4pm if you can catch it on bbc sounds.

Why are you minimising this?

Last I heard there was about 800 prison places , people haven’t had early release yet.So given the amount of arrests , I can’t see that there’s much room left.

This isn’t just about the specific acts or stealing, not about a Facebook post or a pair of crocs.

This particular group of crimes in this instance are a part of an organised effort to cause and be a part of violent disorder on our streets. Social media was used to organise and incite, and the rioting was the executive action following the digitally given orders.

Think about an organised crime case where someone orders someone else to be murdered. Should it just be the murderer going down, or should the architect of the murder be punished more severely?

One of the main functions of government is to protect order, peace, safety within its territory. The August riots caused major social disorder, damage of property and lives were at stake. People regardless of background were terrified to enter town centres/ go about their daily business.

If Britain would allow a climate where this isn’t swiftly dealt with, inciting riots online is ok and mass unrest with violence and property damage is not harshly punished, something like this can escalate into civil war/ overthrowing of government, with 1000s of random innocent people affected.

Thus those factors made those crimes of higher significance.

Stealing from shops, breaking a window, beating someone, arson as an isolated incident is serious. This happening in a highly coordinated series of riots is much more serious in terms of how it could affect the wider general public and their safety in GB. The great purge is a bigger threat to general everyday law and order in society.

Raise your hand if you avoided locations where there was rumoured to be trouble last week, or worried about the safety of your loved ones. Or genuinely worried about more violent mobs and clashes coming nearer to where you live.

Someone breaking the window of Greggs as a one-off and without social media amplification probably wouldn’t make you feel the same way.

She openly incited people to burn a named building that would kill people. Do you see other people doing that? I don't.

I know what you mean. I don’t necessarily think it’s wrong but it does make me sad (I can’t think of a better word). Feels like such a waste for someone to throw their lives away for such a misguided ‘cause’. I’ve read the daily mail articles and I’ve watched GB news, I can’t help thinking that the hatred these people get fed (along with a lack of life chances) is largely to blame for people behaving the way they did in the riots.

If people can be jailed for lying about who was driving a speeding car, where is the long prison sentence for a Mr Johnson for lying to the Queen, multiple counts of gross misconduct in a public office, lying under oath before the privileges committee (I’m surprised the bible didn’t burst into flames when he swore on it), and could it be argued that if “let the bodies pile high” had been spoken by a rioter instead of posh, privileged de pfeffel, this would be mentioned in sentencing remarks?

Just a rant, but two tier justice is everywhere. One rule for the wealthy elite with the right contacts, another for everyone else.

The judges decide on sentences. The CPS just prepare and collate the documents and evidence like CCTV.

100% right thing to do. There needs to be a deterrent. the fear and upset these people caused millions of people was huge. People scared to go out of the house to get public transport cos they didn’t know if they would be attacked by these mindless scum bags.
the more in prison the better. Reading stories of them sobbing in the docks is like music to my ears. These people are the absolute worst of society.

She made a ridiculous comment on Facebook!

Do you think everyone who says something unpleasant on Facebook goes to jail ? Is this really justified on balance ?

They’re over the age of criminal responsibility. Do you want that to be raised?

Will be interesting then to see what the councillor at the anti racist rally a few days ago inciting people to cut the throats of the rioters will get. He’s been suspended, but let’s see what sentence, if any, he gets for inciting the murder of others….

That's not surprising - Starmer was director of public prosecutions in 2011.

I thought it was harsh for folk who hadn't been in trouble before.

Of course it’s different to what’s happened before - he’s a new prime minister and he’s trying to do things differently. That’s the point?

I don’t get your point about how this guy had a knife but other people also carry knives so that makes it…ok?

Little girls just had their lives taken by a man with a knife - why would we want anything other than severe consequences for someone found to be carrying a knife?

And police can’t just stop people unless they’re doing something so until they’re caught for something else and a weapon is found on them, or they brandish the weapon, then what are they supposed to do?

how can we be complaining about too harsh a sentencing when we’ve had years of ridiculously lenient sentencing?! Not like they’ve been sentenced to death or something!

It’s just that there are a lot worse crimes being committed with shorter sentences, so I think if it’s working so well and prevented further rioting, that maybe the reason other crimes such as knife crime and antisocial behaviour are on the increase, that sentences for these crimes are too lenient. I would increase prison terms for those carrying knives three fold. Maybe those claiming MH issues as a defence will even think twice if they know they face 10 years behind bars.

Agreed! You can't incite murder and expect nothing to happen.

@Namechangey23

Yes of course they can appeal like anyone else convicted, unlikely as most of them appear to be pleading guilty.
And they would be eligible for early release for good behaviour, just like any other prisoner
That's the process.

Your comment seemed to imply, to me at least, that you thought this was all done for show and as soon as the news cycle has moved on sentences would be just quashed without due process and we could all forget about it.

Are you for real? She incited the killing of people!

Firstly, in no way do I support the disgusting, racist behaviour we've seen over the last couple of weeks, and I fully believe the major perpetrators need to be found and punished.

Yup and I genuinely don't care how long they are locked up for, they're animals. In my view, as a taxpayer I leave the legal process to those who manage the legal process and I don't have the time or energy to worry about a bunch of miscreants who used a tragedy as an excuse to trash property and abuse the police.

There has been no night courts sitting as far as I know.

There are insufficient court staff, prosecutors and defence advocates to cover 24 hour court sittings

No people released from prison are not automatically housed.

Yes you’re right. And when they’re are released if they’re homeless, they have to be housed and have more resources.

So for this particular case I don’t see it being reasonable.