It's official: Gardai are above the law.

Nijmegen · 27-05-2011 02:11PM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Not very likely and you know it. This is Ireland, our laws are mess as you are aware and people can get away with an awful lot.

That is complete supposition. If people don't serve sentences why do we have prison overcrowding...? I agree there are examples of people being let out early and off, but it does not chime with the facts in this case, which is that he has a 6 month custodial sentence that a normal Joe would not be able to appeal the next morning on a point of law specifically allowing leniency to Gardai and Prison Officers.

Napper Hawkins · 27-05-2011 02:12PM

Can we all at least agree that violent crime appears to have little to no consequence in this country?

hatrickpatrick · 27-05-2011 02:13PM

humanji wrote: »

People get suspended sentences for good behavior before they even set foot in a prison. Maybe people should be ranting at the whole system instead of one little loophole?

I'm ranting on a particular section of society being specifically granted leniency by the law. In writing. "Gards should receive less harsh sentences". ALL provisions like that need to go, they have no place in a democracy.

Lustrum · 27-05-2011 02:13PM

Nijmegen wrote: »

No, he didn't. A person who is not a Gardai would be beginning their 6 month custodial sentence today.

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

NO HE DIDN'T

He got 18 months with 12 suspended. THATS what everyone else would get.

Because he is an all conquering Garda he got the extra six suspended the next day. Solely because he is a Garda.

Anyone who had a half decent barrister would use any angle possible to get a reduced sentence, as Dickens wrote "the Law is an ass"

And let's not forget that the victim wrote to the court and stated that he had no wish to see the man go to jail, but was happy to let the court deal with the matter as it saw fit - perhaps we should start a thread about how nice it is to see that someone in the country can show a bit of compassion after a stupid mistake that cost one man his job and almost cost another his life

Wolfe Tone · 27-05-2011 02:13PM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Not very likely and you know it. This is Ireland, our laws are mess as you are aware and people can get away with an awful lot.

Lets get this straight...

He was given a six month custodial sentence with 12 suspended.

He went back the next day and got the 6 suspended because he was a garda.

If he was not a garda he would be in jail in this case.

Nijmegen · 27-05-2011 02:13PM

Wile E. Coyote wrote: »

No they wouldn't because anyone else wouldn't have been given the 6 month sentence to begin with.

And you have examples to back up this claim, that a person who beats another person till they have bleeding on the brain would get no sentence in the first place?

Or is it supposition?

sbsquarepants · 27-05-2011 02:13PM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

No they shouldn't and they don't.

Again he was off duty so really his status as a Garda is totally irrelevant to the crime and you know that really.

I can only assume you are deliberately missing the point. When his counsel argued that as a guard he should have EXTRA mitigation - did they then say "oh, wait a minute, he was off duty - so forget we mentioned it?"
No they did not - so the fact the he was a guard, off duty or not, played a very important part in him effectively getting away with committing a serious assault. He absolutely was NOT treated like everyone else

How is this point lost on you?

AudreyHepburn · 27-05-2011 02:15PM

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Lets get this straight...

He was given a six month custodial sentence with 12 suspended.

He went back the next day and got the 6 suspended because he was a garda.

If he was not a garda he would be in jail in this case.

Not necessarily, in fact not likely and you know it.Lawyers will find umpteen ways to argue their client out of a prison sentence.

kopfan77 · 27-05-2011 02:16PM

humanji wrote: »

People get suspended sentences for good behavior before they even set foot in a prison. Maybe people should be ranting at the whole system instead of one little loophole?

+1...hit the nail on the head. System is a mess....legal system, judiciary etc
live in a little bubble

Wolfe Tone · 27-05-2011 02:16PM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Not necessarily, in fact not likely and you know it.

Lawyers will umpteen ways to argue their client out of a prison sentence.

Jesus tap dancing christ

Can you see that he got the 6 months suspended solely because he is a garda?

Lustrum · 27-05-2011 02:17PM

Napper Hawkins wrote: »

Can we all at least agree that violent crime appears to have little to no consequence in this country?

I disagree. This isn't a case involving a violent criminal, it's a case where 2 lads got locked, words were had, and by all accounts a lot of remorse has been shown for what happened, and the apology has been accepted.

Don't tell me nobody here has ever done something they shouldn't have after a night out. And yes, the consequences of this could have been a lot more serious but thankfully they weren't, and I think that's more important than trying to lynch the gardaí on here

hatrickpatrick · 27-05-2011 02:17PM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Not necessarily, in fact not likely and you know it.

Look I am defending what was done but I do think need to stop getting so worked about the fact that he was a Garda and maybe get worked up about the terriblely inadequate laws in this country.

Lawyers will umpteen ways to argue their client out of a prison sentence.

Read.
The.
Link.
In.
The.
OP.

....................

Biggins · 27-05-2011 02:17PM

Napper Hawkins wrote: »

Can we all at least agree that violent crime appears to have little to no consequence in this country?

Well a bit.
My next door neighbour did THREE armed robberies - and he got 12 months in jail!

12 Frigging' months.
He will prob' be out in 6!

So there are consequences, poor ones - but sadly unfairness seems to exist all around.

Wile E. Coyote · 27-05-2011 02:18PM

Nijmegen wrote: »

And you have examples to back up this claim, that a person who beats another person till they have bleeding on the brain would get no sentence in the first place?

Or is it supposition?

Yes I do have back up and I've posted it twice in this thread already.

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/courts/boxers-brutal-attack-in-nightclubs-toilet-2577094.html

Viper_JB · 27-05-2011 02:18PM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Not very likely and you know it. This is Ireland, our laws are mess as you are aware and people can get away with an awful lot.

............................................________
....................................,.-'"...................``~.,
.............................,.-"..................................."-.,
.........................,/...............................................":,
.....................,?......................................................,
.................../...........................................................,}
................./......................................................,:`^`..}
.............../...................................................,:"........./
..............?.....__.........................................:`.........../
............./__.(....."~-,_..............................,:`........../
.........../(_...."~,_........"~,_....................,:`........_/
..........{.._$;_......"=,_......."-,_.......,.-~-,},.~";/....}
...........((.....*~_......."=-._......";,,./`..../"............../
...,,,___.`~,......"~.,....................`.....}............../
............(....`=-,,.......`........................(......;_,,-"
............/.`~,......`-...................................../
.............`~.*-,.....................................|,./.....,__
,,_..........}.>-._...................................|..............`=~-,
.....`=~-,__......`,.................................
...................`=~-,,.,...............................
................................`:,,...........................`..............__
.....................................`=-,...................,%`>--==``
........................................_..........._,-%.......`
...................................,

Dude you need to go back to the first post on this thread and slowly read through the thread fully, reading each one of the links too. It's just getting painful to read your post on here at this stage, what don't you get here?

Nijmegen · 27-05-2011 02:18PM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Not necessarily, in fact not likely and you know it.

Lawyers will umpteen ways to argue their client out of a prison sentence.

See some statistics from the National Crime Council that seem to suggest that there are people in prison for crimes. http://www.crimecouncil.gov.ie/crime_by_sentencelength.html

Your argument would suggest that nobody goes to prison because everyone has a loophole.

AudreyHepburn · 27-05-2011 02:19PM

Look I am not defending what was done but I do thhink people need to stop getting so worked up over the fact that the Garda was a Garda.

It would do more good to get worked up over our woefully inadequate laws and justice system.

AudreyHepburn · 27-05-2011 02:21PM

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Jesus tap dancing christ

Can you see that he got the 6 months suspended solely because he is a garda?

Calm down!

Ok fine, if it will make you happy. But he still no more than ordinary joe soap would have gotten imp.

paulosham · 27-05-2011 02:22PM

Lustrum wrote: »

I disagree. This isn't a case involving a violent criminal, it's a case where 2 lads got locked, words were had, and by all accounts a lot of remorse has been shown for what happened, and the apology has been accepted.

Don't tell me nobody here has ever done something they shouldn't have after a night out. And yes, the consequences of this could have been a lot more serious but thankfully they weren't, and I think that's more important than trying to lynch the gardaí on here

I've never started a fight and I don't know anyone who has ever hospitalised anyone after a night out. Plain and simple, the guy should be in jail.

Wolfe Tone · 27-05-2011 02:22PM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Look I am not defending what was done but I do thhink people need to stop getting so worked up over the fact that the Garda was a Garda.

It would do more good to get worked up over our woefully inadequate laws and justice system.

Everyone is bitching about the legal system favoring and going easy on Garda, at least I am.

Nijmegen · 27-05-2011 02:22PM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Look I am defending what was done but I do thhink people need to stop getting so worked up over the fact that the Garda was a Garda.

It would do more good to get worked up over our woefully inadequate laws and justice system.

He would have served 6 months, as the sentence was passed yesterday, and the only grounds for appeal was the fact that he's a Garda.

krudler · 27-05-2011 02:23PM

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

This is an absolutely DISGRACEFUL statement. Are we not all equal in this society? I'm utterly outraged.

Course we're not, same way the scum who attack and threaten people get off because of their oh so hard council estate upbringings, normal folk get the book thrown at them over having an out of date tax disc.

AudreyHepburn · 27-05-2011 02:23PM

Viper_JB wrote: »

............................................________
....................................,.-'"...................``~.,
.............................,.-"..................................."-.,
.........................,/...............................................":,
.....................,?......................................................,
.................../...........................................................,}
................./......................................................,:`^`..}
.............../...................................................,:"........./
..............?.....__.........................................:`.........../
............./__.(....."~-,_..............................,:`........../
.........../(_...."~,_........"~,_....................,:`........_/
..........{.._$;_......"=,_......."-,_.......,.-~-,},.~";/....}
...........((.....*~_......."=-._......";,,./`..../"............../
...,,,___.`~,......"~.,....................`.....}............../
............(....`=-,,.......`........................(......;_,,-"
............/.`~,......`-...................................../
.............`~.*-,.....................................|,./.....,__
,,_..........}.>-._...................................|..............`=~-,
.....`=~-,__......`,.................................
...................`=~-,,.,...............................
................................`:,,...........................`..............__
.....................................`=-,...................,%`>--==``
........................................_..........._,-%.......`
...................................,

Dude you need to go back to the first post on this thread and slowly read through the thread fully, reading each one of the links too. It's just getting painful to read your post on here at this stage, what don't you get here?

Less of the patronising bulls*** please.

I know the case, but I still think people are getting worked up over the wrong issue.

Plascebo · 27-05-2011 02:23PM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Calm down!

Ok fine, if it will make you happy. But he still no more than ordinary joe soap would have gotten imp.

Whaaaa??

K-9 · 27-05-2011 02:23PM

I heard he got 6 months of for being a Guard?

Nijmegen · 27-05-2011 02:24PM

Wile E. Coyote wrote: »

Yes I do have back up and I've posted it twice in this thread already.

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/courts/boxers-brutal-attack-in-nightclubs-toilet-2577094.html

It's a fair point to say that there are too many people allowed to get off. However, that does not make it right, and in this case certainly not the provision that the man was a Garda.

AudreyHepburn · 27-05-2011 02:25PM

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Everyone is bitching about the legal system favoring and going easy on Garda, at least I am.

The legal system goes easy on plenty of other people besides Gardai.

His career is what is getting to people here not the sentence imo, because people love any excuse to Garda-bash.

If this man were a doctor or teacher we wouldn't be having this conversatin.

Wolfe Tone · 27-05-2011 02:25PM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

The legal system goes easy on plenty of other people besides Gardai.

His career is what is getting to people here not the sentence imo, because people love any excuse to Garda-bash.

If this man were a doctor or teacher we wouldn't be having this conversatin.

Yeah, because he would be doing 6 months.

_feedback_ · 27-05-2011 02:26PM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Calm down!

Ok fine, if it will make you happy. But he still no more than ordinary joe soap would have gotten imp.

Day 1: Joe Soap sentence.

Day 2: It changed because he is a guard.

get it yet?

the bolt · 27-05-2011 02:26PM

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

No they shouldn't and they don't.

Again he was off duty so really his status as a Garda is totally irrelevant to the crime and you know that really.

thats several times you have stated this,why should it be irrelevant

It's official: Gardai are above the law.

Comments