To think he shouldn’t be charged with murder

[CovidCorvid]

Story in the news today. A man is stabbing a woman to death in the street, people try and intervene and he’s waving a big knife about. A passing motorist rams him with a car and kills him. The driver has now been charged with murder. I get that people can’t take the law into his own hands but for all he knew it was a mad man/terrorist who might be about to start killing others. Never mind trying to save the life of the poor woman who died. Surely he can argue he didn’t have an intention to kill the man, but was just hoping to stop him.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/24/woman-stabbed-man-killed-hit-by-car-maida-vale-west-london

I agree, that should be manslaughter

He's been arrested for murder to allow the police the chance to establish

Committing a crime for a "good" reason doesn't negate that a crime was committed.

This also only happened this morning. Perhaps we should wait for more information before we decide who is guilty or innocent of what on the basis of news reports.

Well he should or you’d just have people running people over and claiming they were a threat or vigilantes.

May be some sort of extenuating circumstances or something but on the face of it he broke the law and killed a person.

Personally I think he should be given a medal. Trying to save someone’s life, had a split second to make a decision. 🤷‍♀️

If you deliberately hit somebody with your car, you must know there's a good chance you're going to cause their death

Members of the public aren't empowered to go around smiting evil-doers to death. The law has to be fair and applicable to everyone.

@CovidCorvid

Personally I think he should be given a medal. Trying to save someone’s life, had a split second to make a decision. 🤷‍♀️

You need to get in touch with the police, they could really use that crystal ball of yours.

Seriously, it happened a little over 12 hours ago and we don't even have the full facts yet. You have no more idea about who did what and with what motivation than I do.

OP I agree with you. This isn't vigilantism, it's a split second decision of stopping a very dangerous active situation by the only means you have.

Yanbu at all.
But this is the police all over.
Much easier to target a have a go hero than actual criminals.

@Smileyaxolotl1

Yanbu at all. But this is the police all over. Much easier to target a have a go hero than actual criminals.

The other known parties to this event are dead.

You can't charge a dead person with a crime.

He's been arrested, not charged, convicted or sentenced. Give them the time to investigate, you cannot know the full facts especially this quickly.

Arrested. Not charged.

Poor lady.

@CovidCorvid

Personally I think he should be given a medal. Trying to save someone’s life, had a split second to make a decision. 🤷‍♀️

Just ran it past OH who is a PC of over 10 years... he said on the face of it (in the article without any inside info) won't be charged as is a lawful killing under Section 3 Of the criminal law act (prevention of crime and defence of another) & common law

Basically same as when a police officer kills a person mid attack or violent act

😊

@Smileyaxolotl1

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

I would suggest a correlation between your aggressive, insulting demeanour towards strangers who disagree with you and the fact that you can't see why summary execution isn't a good thing

Can't say I'm too bothered there's one less murderer on the streets. Well done to the guy for
Making a quick decision and actually trying to
save someone's life. Hopefully he is not charged with anything!

There is a difference between arrested and charged. He did it, now the circumstances need to be established to see if it's in the publics interest to prosecute, which I'd imagine it won't be. You can't just let someone go with a well done when they have killed someone, regardless of the circumstances, without due process

@Smileyaxolotl1

Yanbu at all. But this is the police all over. Much easier to target a have a go hero than actual criminals.

So should they just shake his hand and let him go on his way without any investigation? The drivers been arrested not charges. As pp said it'll be to give them time to establish exactly what happened

I have heard (but idk if true) that the police charge with the highest offence they can and then downgrade it later if necessary?

That report says that the stabbing only stopped once the perpetrator was hit with the car.

Earlier in the article it says members of the public 'bravely tried to intervene'.

Hmmmm. So some interventions are more intervening than others. Those that stop the attack...

Anyway- of course they have to arrest him and arrest is not the same as charge, let alone convict.

I agree. The only problem is that the woman involved also ended up under the car. She died too, from the stab wounds or the car only the pathologist can tell.

I do feel incredibly sorry for the man involved and I hope he is given the lightest possible sentence, if he has to get any.

But unless I'm reading it wrong, he hasn't been charged, he's been arrested. Two very huge different things.

That report doesn't say he's been charged with murder, but arrested on suspicion of murder.

I'm not in law or law enforcement, but that sounds like a very major difference.

The police need to investigate to find out what has happened. IIUC, it's possible the man will be released without charge.

@madisonbridges

But unless I'm reading it wrong, he hasn't been charged, he's been arrested. Two very huge different things.

Also a very good point (I'm tired and have missed that he doesn't appear to have been actually charged yet - happy to be corrected if he has).

An arrest does not mean there will be a prosecution.