To feel sorry for (and think the punishment is too long) for the 18 year old who threw the fire extinguisher in the protests

[LaurieFairyonthetreeEatsCake]

2 years, 8 months in jail

here

That's a looooong time. Is the reasoning supposed to be that it's a deterrent?

There are people with asbo's who cause no end of trouble and don't get sentences like this.

My DD went on the student protest that culminated in the violence that this twit participated in.

She is a very definite pacifist (music student) and was really scared by the militant (non student) demonstrators who just appeared to want to create trouble and anarchy.

She was marching for something that she firmly believed in - that further education should be affordable by all, no matter what you are studying ... according to her many on the march were just anarchist trouble makers who wanted to create disorder.

This d-head should serve time for what he did. He could have killed somebody.

Wasn't there a fire that the kids had lit though? Maybe he was just being thoughtful and trying to help put the fire out? Did you all think of that huh?

No sympathy whatsoever. Something that heavy from that height thrown aimlessly at a crowd below could have killed anyone from either side. Possibly stupidly got carried away in the moment... but either way the law should send a clear message to anyone else that you just don't do that.

YANBU. LifeinCrimbo and bb99, I completely agree.

Wonder if he was egged on by the heat of the moment and those around him?

There are loads of crimes that do not get the proper punishment and that is bad espesially for the victim.But here we have a punishment that is certainly a bit longer than some but far from long enough,The imbasile will be out soon. For doing what he did, i would like to see at least 10 years so he certainly wont be a student any more and then keep the retard off the streets somehow when he does get out .The pea brain got off very lightly.

Yes, sorry. I think he deserved this sentence and to say he didn't based on lesser sentences being dished out for worse crimes makes no sense. Rather say those offenders of worse crimes deserved longer sentences. I don't understand why justice has to be so arbitrary in this country. It seems so random at times. I get the whole mitigating circumstances arguments, but nevertheless, the justice system can be ridiculous in some circumstances.

As Paisley and others have said, he is so incredibly fortunate that his actions didn't kill anyone. He should be thanking his lucky stars that he doesn't have lives on his conscience now. A spell in prison won't ruin his life as much as that would have.

Yes people do things in the heat of the moment. Maybe try to walk home 15 miles pissed, maybe shag someone you shouldn't. But to trespass into a building, go onto the roof, go to a fire extinguisher point, remove it from the wall, look over the edge at the massed people below and then drop it into the crowd not caring who lives or dies? That is an act that deserves a lengthy prison term.

Good. The twat.

If it was a council house kid with an asbo heaving a paving slab onto cars on a motorway then no one would flinch at a sentence of 2 years 8 months.

Just because he's a nice middle class boy with a clean record doesn't mean he should have to think any less carefully about a momentary action that could Have resulted in death or maiming.

I don't understand why so many people are acting like this was a harmless teenage prank.

What on earth do you think he was attempting to do at the moment he threw that fire extinguisher at the crowd? In this instance what could have happened is relevant, as he would have known (hoped) that the extinguisher could have killed someone. I'd say intent to hurt/kill is pretty major.

Say someone shot a gun into a crowd? If by some miracle it missed would you still be arguing that the sentence was too harsh? That extinguisher was a weapon the minute he launched it over the side of the building.

he was on the roof of a building that had been ransacked. He deliberately swung the extinguisher over the crowd, aiming for the mass of riot police below the building who were trying to stop the rest of the protesters from storming the building.

The fact is he got a 2 year and 8 month sentence which will probably mean he will be out in less than 6 month or so.....

Also did anyone else hear on the report that his mother HAD TO PERSUADE HIM to give himself up after his ugly mug was flashed all over the news throwing the extinguisher. But because his is from a well to do middle class background we should view it as High jinks and jappery?

Nope sorry - he should also serve the whole of his sentence as a deterrent to others who think its cool to attack public or private property and police officers just because its their "right to protest".

i dont think it is too harsh but that doesnt mean that i dont have sympathy for him and his family.

it is a ridiculous thing to do a moment of utter madness. i was involved in lots of demos when i was 16-18 and wouldnt have done this but i can see how he got caught up in this- its an adrenaline rush when you think its you against them and there are no rules.

also, the fact that he went and handed himself in- its not clear to me whether he would have been identified but in either event i think many of us can relate to this as a parent. making ourselves and our kids do the right thing when all you want to do is protect them.

it will affect his future and i do think that he is being made an example of- lets hope he can do his a levels whilst in custody and go on to university when he comes out. the acts that we do at 18 shouldnt be held against us forever. he should only be punished once.

Sorry if it's already been said, but there was a man recently who got 18 months for killing his wife in cold blood

Yes, sakura, it's been said over and over and a solicitor even came on and explained in great detail how you can't compare sentences due to how the criminal justice system operates.

Still others said there need to be longer sentences across the board for serious crimes, not a shorter one for this chap just because others got shorter sentences for other crimes.

18 months for murder in "cold blood"? Really? Can you provide a link? Are you sure it wasn't manslaughter? Very bizarre circumstances? Mercy killing?

Because 18 months for murder is an unlawful sentence.

Found it. Not a "cold blood" killing. A single blow with a causation issue due to an unforeseeable medical condition. He was sentenced for manslaughter with the level of intent taken into consideration.

Still arguably a low sentence but, as I have said several times, the level of the criminality involved is taken into consideration.

He entered the building without permission as part of a group. He or someone else removed the extinguisher from a wall. He sprayed it off the top of the building (that part is on camera). He then swung it to and from over the edge of the building, watching himself do so, before releasing it into the crowd (again, this is also on camera). He then ran away from the edge of the building after the object was released (on camera as well).

He knew damn well what he was doing and was apparently aware it was very wrong.

He'll hopefully have time to reflect on this whilst in custody with other punks who are criminals.

murder is an altermatic life sentance so who ever said someone got 18 months is taking out of their backside.

This twat got 2 years 8 months so he will serve 16months before he is out on licence.

i think the sentance is just about right and sends out a clear message that if you abuse your right to peaceful protest then you will be held accountable.

risingstar you think he should go onto university!
surely you have to be intelligent to go to university, he has proven he is not as he couldn't work out that his actions could end in someones death.

this was fine. what is upsetting is the cr*p sentencing that more serious offenders get.

2 women a week murdered by their spouse and the average sentence is 4 years. those are the facts. Taking that into consideration I think nearly three years is too heavy a sentence. If you want to give someone nearly three years for it you'll have to increase the sentencing for spouse murder (which is usually accompanied by all sorts of horrendous, torturous, sadistic crimes)

And you're always going to get people saying these wife-killings are manslaughter. The woman is never there to defend herself. She's dead, after all