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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to slap some sense into this judge

29 replies

mrsrat · 14/10/2011 07:15

Have just read that Shaun Bloomfield, a convicted peopdophile, who was banned from being around young children after being convicted of sexual offences with children 4 times was sentenced to 6 months when he was caught attending a childrens party. He could have been sentenced to 5 years. What the hell is going on ? I really really want to speak to this judge and ask him how he would feel if it was his children or grandchildren that had been at the party. Th happens time and time again why ?

OP posts:
Andrewofgg · 14/10/2011 07:17

Of course you know the entire story from top to bottom, you have read every scrap of paper in the case and you were in court throughout?

Arachnophobic · 14/10/2011 07:17

There may be circumstances relating to the case justifying a lesser sentence but haven't been reported in the piece.

Unless you know the full facts you cannot judge properly and YABU.

swallowedAfly · 14/10/2011 07:18

money, overcrowding, the reality that prison does nothing to change these people, the fact that housing a pedophile in prison is very difficult, etc etc.

oh and the simple fact that crimes against women and children always seem to attract light sentences.

BelleEnd · 14/10/2011 07:19

I think your anger is misdirected. The jails are full, and judges are forced to try and keep jail time short. It's one of my main gripes about the sentences given to those who took part in- Or sometimes received goods as a result of- the recent riots. 6 weeks inside for nicking bottled water.

Haberdashery · 14/10/2011 07:19

Was he just at a children's party rather than doing something horrible to a child at a party? If so, that may give you a clue as to why he didn't get the maximum sentence.

Original poster
mrsrat · 14/10/2011 07:20

Andreoffg no I don't know the entire case and wasnt in court but i do know that he is already a convicted peodophile and so in my book should have been locked up for life the first time

OP posts:
Arachnophobic · 14/10/2011 07:24

X-post withAndrew

Original poster
mrsrat · 14/10/2011 07:26

Sorry I do appear to be very angry but this isnt the first time in the last month that a similar story has been reported. Every time the judge appears to not give the maximim sentence. I would rather a prison place be taken up by a peodophile than a stupid youth who got caught up in the riots and stole something. (I'not saying they arent in the wrong just that we need to sort out priorities )

OP posts:
Sirzy · 14/10/2011 07:27

I love how quick people are to judge about cases they know nothing about!

Arachnophobic · 14/10/2011 07:27

Where is the link OP?

Arachnophobic · 14/10/2011 07:29

Maximum sentences are rarely given.

And all defendants are entitled by law to a third discount if they plead guilty.

Like it or not, that's the way the system works.

Arachnophobic · 14/10/2011 07:34

Here we go people

www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3859995/Nailed-Paedo-caught-brby-The-Sun-at-kids-

He did of course break an order but it wasn't exactly a children's party was it?

BelleEnd · 14/10/2011 07:36

Oh, The Sun. Must be true, then Hmm

Sirzy · 14/10/2011 07:40

What horrendous journalism!

And reading between the sensationalism in the article I don't think the sentence given was that wrong personally

Original poster
mrsrat · 14/10/2011 07:41

I accept that I dont know all the facts but he was at a party where younger children were present. Why would a peodophile go anywhere near children unless he cant control his urges. Its simple if I you are trying not to smoke , dont buy cigarettes. If you dont want to get put back in prison just walk away from situations / parties etc involving children.

OP posts:
Fo0ffyShmooffer · 14/10/2011 07:44

Much as the very idea of this person and persons like him make me want to vomit my insides up you have to see that piece as it is. It is a self congratulatory piece by the Sun with the word " PAEDO" inthe title. They never let hard fact get in the way of screaming hysteria.

MumblingAndBloodyRagDoll · 14/10/2011 07:49

I don't care if there si scraming hysteria....should we always remain calm and dignified in the face of weirdo's? There is a weird culture of not freaking about perverts on MN...so much so that people will genuine worries are often tolfd they are hysterical and parnanoid.

Original poster
mrsrat · 14/10/2011 07:57

I didnt read it in the sun but dont know how to do a link. At the risk of being accused of starting a thread and then wimping out, I am off on school run and away for weekend. I still feel the same though.He's a peodophile and deserves no justice in my book. I would happily lock him up and throw away the key ( and all the other peodophiles out there ! )

OP posts:
TandB · 14/10/2011 08:05

I refuse to read anything the Sun reports about the legal system as it is inevitably going to be inaccurate, biased, hysterical drivel designed to produce the most emotive headline.

I am therefore commenting blind as it were.

I would imagine the reason the maximum sentence wasn't given was because the breach did not fall towards the top end of the scale of seriousness, ie few aggravating factors, no actual harm done to children etc. He probably also pleaded guilty which would automatically lead to a reduction in sentence.

You can't have a situation where everyone receives the maximum sentence in a sentencing range, otherwise the would be no way of marking the seriousness of the worst offences of any given type.

Any offence has a sentencing range and the judges have quite strict guidelines on how to calculate where in the range any specific offence falls.

Arachnophobic · 14/10/2011 08:11

mumbling no one on here would tolerate a weirdo as you say, people are just saying they cannot make a judgement call merely on a piece written in the tabloid press. This is reasoned IMO.

Perhaps if the people who posted here had some personal knowledge of the case, ie had attended court or otherwise, they would be saying something very different, and perhaps then "freaking out' like you say.

Well said Kung Fu by the way, spot on.

Fo0ffyShmooffer · 14/10/2011 08:14

YY Kungfupannda. That.

BelleEnd · 14/10/2011 08:26

Mumbling I don't have a problem with "weirdos". I don't think that every weirdo is a pervert, you see. That would make me a screaming hysteric.

MumblingAndBloodyRagDoll · 14/10/2011 09:07

There IS a culture of erring on the side of caution (not a bad thing) but to such an extent that if any Mum on here, says they were nervous about a males behaviour around their DC, people JUMP on them and bollock them for "pedo hysteria"

It is very unhelpful and also silly....I came on and had a question about my neighbours worrying behaviour and I was basically told I was a pitchfork waving, paranoid meany for DARING to think that a man was "a bit odd".

I wont go into details but I thought (and still do) that I had good reason to be wary....my instincts were pinging and I came here for support but people were SO mean to me. And sarcastic. Not everyone but most.

It is something I have seen a lot on here. Someone says "The man next door keeps offering my child sweets and I am unomfortable" and people say

"Oh I feel SO sorry for men these days! They cant even be nice without people calling them weird"

This attitude is skewed and has become a not-so-nice part of MN. Of course no one should accuse anyone of an imagined crime....but when a parent can't even ask for thoughts or ideas....witout being jumped on....it's bad.

MumblingAndBloodyRagDoll · 14/10/2011 09:08

Belle I was taking about perverts...I meant perverts...not just weirdos.