To think he did not deserve a jail sentence

[meadowandpetals]

I know this story is many years old but I recently came across it. AIBU to think a prison sentence was too harsh of a punishment for what he did? What he did was wrong and he should have been punished in some way in my opinion but I don’t think he should have jailed. However that is just my opinion. Would love to hear others take on this.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-16288257.amp

I don't think he should be in prison, but I think we need a complete rethink of the way we use imprisonment. I would like to see custodial sentences used only for people who need to be segregated from the general public because they pose an ongoing risk to others.

He got two weeks, and he deserved it

you dont have to be violent or a serial killer to pose a risk to others

he posed a risk because he was prepared to ditch his legal obligations for a stupid musical.

That is the perfect example of the type of crime that should be given community service instead of detention. Society would be much better served by a massive overhaul of the justice system. Non-violent offenders as a general rule don’t need to be locked in secure facilities. There are some egregious cases of extremely serious non-violent crimes so it’s not as simple as making a violent vs non-violent distinction, but detention is massively overused. It’s a waste of societal resources. Well run community service programs would not be cheap, but we would at least get a societal benefit from them.

This happened 11 years ago.

Are you his Mum and have played a really really long game to find out if you are being unreasonable

@GirlInACountrySong

you dont have to be violent or a serial killer to pose a risk to others

he posed a risk because he was prepared to ditch his legal obligations for a stupid musical.

Sorry, but that's nonsensical. Of course he doesn't pose a risk to others that's not the same thing as saying that he's done nothing wrong - but he clearly doesn't pose an ongoing risk to the public in the way that a serial killer or a rapist does, or someone who habitually befriends and defrauds the elderly, to give a non-violent example of someone who poses a risk.

Absolutely deserved jail - probably longer.

Think of the inconvenience, maybe even suffering, this causes to any victims and witnesses, who suffer from the delay and perhaps having to give their evidence again at a new trial. Likewise, additional delay, uncertainty and inconvenience for the individual on trial.

Then there are the many thousands of pounds of wasted costs for paying the judge, court staff, barristers, solicitors etc.

I struggle to think of more selfish, entitled behaviour.

@sadpapercourtesan well the judicial system clearly doesn't agree with you....he wasn't the first and he wont be the last...

[quote GirlInACountrySong]@sadpapercourtesan well the judicial system clearly doesn't agree with you....he wasn't the first and he wont be the last...[/quote]
I'm not sure what point you think you're making

My post clearly said that, in my opinion, we need a rethink of the way in which we use imprisonment. It's obviously not news to me that the way I think things should be isn't the way they currently are!

YANBU. He was 19 years old and did a stupid thing. A fine and a big slap on the wrist would gave been sufficient.

I hope the show was worth it.

He's an absolute pisstaker with no respect for the judicial process and clearly isn't taking his crime seriously.

Sorry just re-read - he didn't commit a crime and was only a juror however surely this would be considered contempt of court, which I believe is a crime.

It looks like he was too immature to be doing jury service in the first place.

He should have got longer and made to pay for the cost of delaying the trail.

Poor kid, a custodial sentence does seem OTT and will hardly do any good. It may do him some harm, a lot can happen within a fortnight.

I think a fine would have been more appropriate for someone of his age. It's a pity he was found out.

The criminal justice system is in chaos with cases taking ludicrously long to come to trial. It doesn't need to be made even worse with jurors wasting court time in this way. If this happened now, I suspect it would be treated with just as much seriousness.

@CounsellorTroi 100% this. This is why forcing people to do jury service is stupid. Many do not want to be there. The whole system needs modernised

Well he shouldn’t have skipped jury duty but most likely had pre-booked tickets for Chicago…can you get compensation for issuing pre-booked shows, holidays etc?

Totally ridiculous!
Especially comparing it to a documentary I have just watched on stalking, where they let perpetrators get away with it over and over again. Awful.
Our justice system is useless.🤦🏼‍♀️

He is a part.
When I was called for jury service, on the first day we were told to see the clerk of court if we had any existing arrangements/responsibilities.

I had just got a new puppy (as in he was 12 weeks old, so couldn’t be left all day). I told him this and was immediately excused.

So why didn’t this numpty speak up?

"Disrespect a posh white man (judge), you’re going to jail, beat a woman- very likely you’ll never be arrested never mind sent to jail.

What a world…"

Totally agree.

@lonelyapple

Yes, ridiculous! People get away with no jail time for far more serious things.

What serious things?

Seems harsh, I used to regularly work in courts and 99 per cent of the time contempt is overlooked. Prison in this case is a waste of taxpayers money, they should have just fined him

@sadpapercourtesan exactly! Recidivism rates for those who get custodial sentences have long been much higher than those who get non custodial sentences and there is much evidence that short prison sentences don't work as they don't offer enough time to rehabilitate an offender. Custodial sentences should be reserved for only the very worst offenders in my view