To think that someone stopping a pervert shouldn’t have a criminal record?

[CrazyOldMe]

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/dad-heart-gold-knocked-out-35544209.amp

“Dad with 'heart of gold' knocked out man who was exposing himself to families

Richard Gathercole, 39, has been convicted of assault after knocking out a man who was exposing himself on a street in front of families with a single punch“

AIBU to think that this brave man shouldn’t have a criminal record and two year suspended sentence? He was actively protecting children from a vile pervert FFS!

I mean, actual rapists get less than this man has!

Keep your mitts to yourself and call the police. It's what they're for.

Not fracture his skull?

Yob behaviour. We lost someone to 'one punch' and there are laws around here specific to that. Violence is not the answer.

Certainly not punched him hard enough to fracture his skull and cause a brain bleed. That's never acceptable.

Vigilante justice is never the way. Call the police. Move everyone away from him. But not ever physical violence.

hes pretty lucky to be honest (the so called heart of gold man) it could have been much worse.

he does seem remorseful so im betting he honestly wishes he didn't do it.

1. Convicted rapists don't get this sentence so you're wrong there.

2. Off the top of my head? Filmed him, whilst someone else called the police, make sure he didn't leave his sight, lawfully restrained him until they arrived, provided a clear witness statement with his mobile footage after the fact.

3. It would no doubt have been taken into account as a mitigating factor, hence the suspended sentence. He's lucky he didn't get more and shouldn't be moaning.

I'm a cop btw and he's just created a shit ton more work and diverted investigation from the original call.

He did it to protect kids? He can't very well protect kids if he'd got a custodial sentence could he.

Exactly. He did it to play the hero, and it’s massively backfired.

Reading between the lines, I don’t think the victim was ever criminally convicted of exposing himself to minors. So that doesn’t have as much weight, as you are assuming it does. I’m guessing once he was unconscious and hospitalised, the police didn’t investigate him and treated him like a victim.

I don’t think you’ve thought this through OP. You don’t like perverts - that’s fine, neither do I, but if we are allowed to launch violent physical attacks on perverts without being charged, then what else becomes acceptable? Shooting burglars? Kneecapping shoplifters? Running over jaywalkers? After all, they are technically in the wrong, right?

What you are advocating is the law of the jungle. We have rules against violence and vigilantism for good reason. This man broke the law and the punishment, frankly, serves him right.

I imagine the guy who’s hit this creep did do it with the intention of stopping him from causing alarm or distress to any of the kids and families who could see him.

Should the creep be challenged? 100%. In a scenario (I know we don’t know the ins and outs from that article) where an adult has their generals out in front of my child, I absolutely would be in their face about it. I’m female and 11st, but I’d face down anyone who did that (while someone else hopefully recorded them). Society’s scum.

But one punch to fracture a skull? That’s mental. He’s genuinely lucky he’s not faced a manslaughter charge.

With that said, do these flasher/public masturbators deserve a kicking from a moral POV? Absolutely.

Violent thug

in front of kids too

The judge obviously had sympathy and took into account all the mitigating factors. It was about as low a sentence as you can get for that crime. He got to go home that night.

If the judge had gone against sentencing guidelines then the prosecution could have appealed and a not suspended sentence given.

Phone police perhaps verbal remonstration to get him to pack it in till police get there or he pisses off now that he's been rumbled.