Saturday Musings

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Daily Mail

Car accidents happen, even the best make mistakes and at speed this can lead to pain and sometimes death.  For many years now all governments have emphasised the importance of not drinking and driving.  The breathaliser and the modern equivalents have helped reduce the number of accidents, saved lives and to please government, saved millions of pounds in clearing up the mess.  Sadly some fail to respond and this car shows the result when one young man decides to drive after entering a car while unfit. The short journey home was taken at high speed while veering unsteadily in the road. A couple walking home from the same restaurant where the driver had been drinking were run down by the car and both received fatal injuries. He is estimated to have been doing around 60 at the time of the accident in a 30 mph built up area. 

My point is simple. It is imperative that judges sentencing a man found guilty, as indeed this driver was quickly proved to be, are treated fairly and mercy must be included while sentence is declared. However there is also a need to ensure that justice, not vengeance, is done, but is seen to be done.  In this instance we have two people dead, they leave behind three grown children and it must be said they will not want for money, houses in that area begin at around the £3 million mark. However they have lost their parents, their lives are suddenly and cruelly changed for ever, and money does not compensate for the loss of a loved one.  Therefore I question the sentence passed on this driver. He was jailed for seven years, and the judge insisted he must serve at least half that sentence. This, it must be said, is not an uncommon sentence in such situations, and my point is to question what this says about the nation today?  

Do we really consider three and a half years jail plus a seven year driving ban, served probably in an 'open prison,' to be sufficient in the circumstances? Remember I am not looking for 'vengeance' here, but 'justice' tinged with mercy. Two people are dead, gone forever into God's hands and lost to their family who must endure this loss, and it would appear that human life is now regarded as worth a mere three and a half years in jail. In fact as two died they are only worth half that! Surely human life is worth more?  Some indeed would say financial crime leads to longer sentencing! I watched a footballer dancing around after scoring a goal last week.  He also had got drunk, smashed his Mercedes into another car, killed a man, robbed a wife of her husband and her young children of their father. He even ran away after the accident, a very serious thing to do, but received a mere six years in jail. He served three and returned to his footballing career, earning I guess around £7000 a week at that time.  He may earn less today as he ages slowly but how does the widow and her brood feel when he dances around as they struggle to survive?  Human life in Britain does not appear to be worth that much these days.  


Surely such an accident should receive a longer sentence, surely more consideration is deserved for the victims?  Surely we have our priorities wrong in so many ways today.  Terrorists can receive between twenty five and forty year sentences, often without actually killing someone, how then can a drunk driver get so little?  I have no problem with a man making a good living after sentence has been served, I do however have a major problem with sentences that do not fit the crime.  I realise that each one of us could at any moment lose control, whether of a car or at work or in the home and death could result. We all share the same weak frame and that is why courts must understand both the nature of the crime, the cause and the damage left to the victim and their family. I am not convinced this occurs today.
     

                         

Sad to say that Robert Robinson has passed away. Robinson came to my attention while hosting the world's greatest quiz, 'Brain of Britain,' and the erudite talk show 'Stop the Week,' both on Radio 4. His ability to make the contestants on the quiz feel at ease, no matter their background, and cheerful manner enabled this powerful contest to fairly fly towards a conclusion.  Even without him it remains the top quality programme although nobody can run it as smoothly as he.  'Stop the Week' was more controversial.  Seen by some as a talking shop for the chattering classes, it was criticised by those very chattering classes themselves, revealing that a nerve must have been touched quite often. Often spoofed as smug and middle class by smug, middle class comedians Robinson continued to broadcast into his eighties when illness made this no longer possible. He died yesterday in St Mary's Hospital in London, a sad loss to British Broadcasting, middle class or not.   

Dave seeking inspiration for his next PR disaster.

Good old 'Dave.'  He is working hard to fulfill the saying, 'Don't open your mouth and put both feet in as you will not have a leg to stand on.'  His latest gaff is to stand in the House of Commons and inform the world that the Metropolitan Police were failing to handle the riots until he returned early from holiday! He was backed up on this by his Home Secretary Theresa May, who as you know does a very good female impersonation. The police reaction was swift, '"Rubbish!" they said!  The constabulary realised, they admit, that their tactics were failing, adding this was not aided by having too few officers to deal with the troubles, they amended their tactics and took control, as much as was possible in the circumstances.  'Dave was to busy drinking Italian espresso to help out himself.  'Dave,' and his desire to be seen as responsible for the improvement, has alienated himself even more from the police while still insisting on cutting their numbers, in spite of the situation during the last few days.


Not only but also!  Yes indeed he has gone further!  This time he wishes to make an American head of the Met!  Has this man's desire for show no end?  Some famous Yank Cop, who nobody has heard off, has been approached, without informing the police themselves, and informally offered the job as Commissioner!  This produced a one word comment from a senior officer, "Stupid!"  He is right you know! Listening to the methods of foreign policemen is indeed worth the time, but asking someone from a completely different justice system to take control leaves not only the impression that the London police are incompetent but that 'Dave' has no idea what he is talking about.
Actually, that last bit might well be right!