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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think its an atrocity that this man has spent 6 years in prison?!!?

179 replies

imonthefone · 03/09/2012 15:21

6 years!

6 years!

for being naked

some rapists have done less than that! Angry

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Gough

www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/aug/23/naked-rambler-mental-health-checks

OP posts:
BlackberryIce · 03/09/2012 16:42

Grin rough guide!!

Yummymummyyobe1 · 03/09/2012 16:44

Without our laws and judicial system imonthefone then our country would be undesirable place to live, people would be free to do as they pleased without consequence.

I for one would not want our PFB DS to be brought up in such as place. Actions have consequences and his nonchalant and quite frankly cavalier attitude is unacceptable. If he does not like this country's laws then he should find somewhere that have laws which suit him better.

SusanneLinder · 03/09/2012 16:44

OFS! 6 years of my tax payers money to keep him in jail cos we can all see his willy? I mean REALLY?

He wants to ramble and is unlikely to be anywhere near public parks.The police like to follow him and pick him up and be all offended.

IMO-he should have been picked up, and plonked at Carlisle and given us all peace.

ShirleyO · 03/09/2012 16:45

All law is a social construct.

Themumsnot · 03/09/2012 16:47

The point is surely that there is no law as such that says 'thou shalt not be naked in public'. He is not breaking the law as such, he is defying a Scottish court's interpretation of what constitutes a breach of the peace. Why should being naked in itself constitute such a breach?

Socknickingpixie · 03/09/2012 16:48

hang on a sec. he has been arrested a few in england. he has also been held for contempt of court for refusing to wear clothes in court (scotland) not just breach of the peace

he was also told in 2008 that on a release if he stayed dressed in public for 3 months his outstanding convictions would be dropped so he would not be locked up for them. he stripped off in the car park.

he has won appeals on several breach of the peace convictions as none occured due to a lack of audience but several he has lost one would think thats because he did have a audience

AndSuetoo · 03/09/2012 16:57

Ok, let me put it another way. Is it not likely that the NEED to wear clothing came before the universal acceptance that it was the right thing to do? And I'm pretty certain that it's been seen as the right thing to do on this island for at least the last three thousand years. Banging on about it being our natural state is a little trite.

MrsTerrysChocolateOrange · 03/09/2012 16:57

I said at the beginning and shall say again. He was not jailed for 6 years for being naked. It was his constant contempt for the Courts that did it. If a Judge tells you to do something, generally, you do it. I think he backed the Courts into a corner. Of course, no one wants him locked up long-term for being naked but what do you do when he constantly flouts what the Courts ask. FWIW, I think that we do need a strong and reasonable legal system.

BlackberryIce · 03/09/2012 17:00

Susanne article says he was in a park. It's not just confined to 'rambling'

likeacrow · 03/09/2012 17:01

I agree that it's totally over the top, but then, I think prison should be for locking people up who are a danger to society.
For punishment only (when the person in question is not a threat or a danger to others), I think community service should be the answer. If enforced properly it is much more productive for society as a whole, surely?

NadiaWadia · 03/09/2012 17:03

I agree with the OP. Seems disproportionate and quite ridiculous.

janey68 · 03/09/2012 17:04

I can't just turn up for work naked and I doubt many people could unless they're a porn star or life drawing model!
So not only is he repeatedly flouting the law, but he's choosing to render himself unemployable- rather ironic really when you consider how much his 'freedom of expression' costs the tax payer...

MrsTerrysChocolateOrange · 03/09/2012 17:13

I think he receives some kind of disability payment, isn't he a war veteran or something?

Original poster
imonthefone · 03/09/2012 18:08

I for one would not want our PFB DS to be brought up in such as place. Actions have consequences and his nonchalant and quite frankly cavalier attitude is unacceptable. If he does not like this country's laws then he should find somewhere that have laws which suit him better

do you know that he served as a Royal Marine yummy?

I think its a little 'trite' to belligerantly assert that the law is the moral code, and should never be questioned

I know lots of people who have broken the law for moral good

OP posts:
OrangeandGoldMrsDeVere · 03/09/2012 18:13

I read an article by his ex partner last week. It was in a crappy magazine but was surprisingly good.
It all sounds very sad tbh. He is totally single minded about this. He no longer sees his children and his marraige has broken up.
He used to suddenly strip off whilst out with his children and this used to upset them.
They would ask him not to but he wouldnt listen, regardless of where he was or what they were doing.

He seems incapable of seeing anyone else's point of view.

I thought he seemed like a sad and unwell man.

spoonsspoonsspoons · 03/09/2012 18:13

Naked in public

A quote from the above article for all the frothers
the police refused, saying it's not a crime to appear naked in public.

Yummymummyyobe1 · 03/09/2012 18:25

imonthefone there is no moral reason you can give that justifies breaking the law. Yes laws are based on ideals of moral conduct but even so we have to abide by them whether we agree with them all.

I was unaware he had been a marine and for the comments made about finding another country to live where he likes the laws was in poor taste.

Original poster
imonthefone · 03/09/2012 18:27

i disagree with you yummy

OP posts:
NarkedRaspberry · 03/09/2012 18:32

I do find it odd that he's spent so much time in prison and what he does doesn't offend me at all, but when people complain and call the police what are they supposed to do? He is breaking the law. And when the courts have him appear in front of them for the nth time, having already run through all the non custodial options, what are they supposed to do?

Original poster
imonthefone · 03/09/2012 18:35

he isnt breaking the law raspberry according to spoons

if, indeed he is mentally unwell...then he should have been given treatment?

OP posts:
Yummymummyyobe1 · 03/09/2012 18:39

If you can give me a good moral reason to break the law imonthefone then perhaps I might reconsider my standpoint, but surely there is nohing that justifies breaking the law?

AndSuetoo · 03/09/2012 18:40

Imonthefone who's being belligerent?

I'm interested that you've raised the idea of law breaking for moral good. I assume you are not comparing this man's desire to parade his penis in public with the Suffragette movement or Rosa Parks? What moral causes were the people you know fighting for? And if you could explain the moral high ground with regard to public nudity i'd be interested.

Yummymummyyobe1 · 03/09/2012 18:42

AndSuetoo well said

BlackberryIce · 03/09/2012 18:44

Treatment won't necessarily stop him doing it! He may have had treatment, the article isn't clear

BlackberryIce · 03/09/2012 18:45

Breach of the peace.... It's an offence