Shame not jail

by Greg McDonald

The student caught on camera drunkenly urinating on war memorial poppy wreaths deserves the shame and humiliation he will live with for many years to come - but he shouldn’t go to jail.

Philip Laing has no excuses. His lawyers paint a picture of a student with a bright future, innocently caught up in a drinking culture and now struck with remorse. But being middle class doesn’t excuse you from equal treatment before the law, any more than downing 10 Stellas excuses you running the next-door neighbour down in the family car.

And as for remorse, it’s funny how so few of Laing’s fellow louts are as remorseful about the crimes that don’t get splashed across the front of national newspapers.

But while Laing’s misdeed is revolting, it’s also a single youthful mistake - and however disgusted we may feel, we should remember that few of us didn’t make a few mistakes of our own along the way.

Granted, many premeditated and evil crimes committed in Britain deserve a harsher punishment than our legal system has the resources or will to enforce. But as ugly as Laing’s drunken misdemeanor may be, his is not one of those.

The judge is right to hang the prospect of jail over Laing’s head for a fortnight while he awaits sentencing. But, while the student deserves his shame, in this instance – just for once – a custodial sentence would be excessive.

Comments

[j.loups]

All these guys/gals retiring from the Drugs Advisory Council are doing us all a favour by allowing new blood/new ideas into the team.
It is all very great being weepy wet liberals saying alcohol is more dangerous than this & that and riding horses more dangerous than hashish etc...When it comes to being brave and saying "Decriminalise all drugs,OR Criminalise Alcohol and cigarette smoking" Dr Nutt
does not have the Balls !!

[At least he was not an islamist terrorist]

At least he was not an islamist terrorist killing innocent people in the streets of a country that they hate.

[old salt]

The points you make(malcolm)are valid,alcohol is a problem,but the abuse of it is more of a problem.I am an oap and have enjoyed alcohol all my life,but within reason.And dont you think that the government could and should take on this modern day scurge,and not just use it to raise money(through alcohol tax),that is not political claptrap,its a fact.Now to get back to the point of this blog,THE SILLY BOY as you call him,nonesence,he is a mature person getting state aid to study and join society as a responsable member.he knows right from wrong,but chose to get ratarsed on alcohol and decided he had the right to use a highly prominent symbol of respect as a toilet.He should be taught a lesson and nothing less than a custodial sentance will do that.We would not be wasting money (as he wasted his student grant money on booze),but making sure he realises rules are rules,and he cant get away with flouting them when he feels like it.Thats the trouble with 80% of youth today,they have no respect for NOTHING,and as SILLY BOYS AND GIRLS know they can get away with murder.As i have said before bring back national service.

[winston churchill]

exactly malcolm.......
what i find repulsive though is the fact that blogs such as this do tend to mask the more serious problems this country is experiencing under this most deceitful of governments !

[Malcolm]

So many issues raised here including: respect for the lives, property and rights of others is missing in our society; alcohol is a far greater problem-drug in this country than any other; our jails are full of people who should NOT be there; our streets are full of people who SHOULD be in jail; responders on this blog have, as usual, turned it into an immigration issue; we British are a bunch of self righteous hypocrites who secretly enjoy being outraged, especially if we can make some political mileage out of it; etc etc.

This silly boy, in his heavily drugged state, obviously had no intention to insult the war memorial and , although he did wrong, there is no way we should be wasting money and court time by sending him to jail.

[WINSTON CHURCHILL]

who on here cannot stand to see the truth in print!!
as i said what is the problem with this lad ??
THIS GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN SH*****g ON ALL OF US FOR 12 YEARS !!

[big john]

Nice! Yet another example of complete lack of respect by the garbage teenagers, Damn good job I didnt see him do it or I would have Made a "terribly regretable mistake" with his Head!! Youth of today... ill disciplined SCUM! And this garbage is the adults of tommorow, god help us all!

[Mike]

I think that this young man may have been drunk but he still knew exactly what he was doing. He and his mates picked their spot carefully for him to urinate over the memorial to brave men and women who (so they thought at the time) gave their lives for their country and against opression and tirrany. For that he should be birched, made to clean the memorial and surround most thoroughly while wearing a conspicuous boiler suit and he and his mates made to write and sign a public letter of apology to be published widely.

Yes, some of us in our youth did some naughty things that we were usually most forcibly made to regret later. But never, ever, do I recall any of us desecrating graves or memorials. We were brought up with a modicom of discipline for gross misbehaviour and taught self respect, aliegance to our country and monarchy, respect for our elders, womenfolk and all in need of assistance. Not like the significant numbers of selfish, me first, foul mouthed, brutal and law breaking types one heres so much of today. I am willing to bet that more people are being illegally killed and maimed today by guns, knives, vehicles, beatings and lack of their entitlement to proper professional care when aged than at any time since WWII. How is that for a modern, 21st century society??

[j.loups]

This last 12 years of Government has just shown a gang of politicians not showing any form of leadership
or responsibility for their mistakes.Stealth taxes and government by deception,lies and spin to feather their own nests and certainly an abandonment of the poorer working people in Britain.The Tax threshold is far too low & a fairer top rate of taxation would be acceptable to most of the better off if only this Government would show they were responsible enough and fair enough in the way Our Funds are invested.The waste and gross
social engineering by Blair & Brown in the most cynical and decptive fashion without the approval of British citizens is why this Government is finished and our society widely recognised as "broken"!
It is no wonder that so many large sections of our youth today just follow the examples set by our learned politicians....grab,grab and lie some more and blame someone else ! Single mothers should be looked after by their parents...many of our heroes on incapacity benefits should be retrained to earn a living and not used to manipulate the huge Unemployment figures...So much Taxpayers money thrown at
shirkers to hide problem families from our social workers !! We really need a readical re-think and get rid of this Political Spin and Class War for the sake of our Country. Scandinavia & Holland do not keep wasting time & money on class war...why does this Government keep digging it up
and picking away at past history...we do not need it !!We must work together,set reachable goals and great example & take the blame for our mistakes to get our new generations sorted out.I thank Alan Johnstone for started the new wave of Honesty gradually breaking out from New Labour.!!

[NO HUMAN RIGHTS]

People who talk about human rights should understand that it only applies to immigrants and crooks.
The rest of us have NO HUMAN RIGHTS in this country.

There is NO justice for VICTIMS either.

Immigrants and crooks also run our parliament. WHY WHY WHY ??????????????????

[POWERFULL]

Money for "Booze" was this Taxpayers money?
As soon as students qualify and start in employment their student loan shouls start being repaid.
There is no need to wait until they are earning a reasonable salary they have had free money long enough.

[old salt]

I agree totaly with (winston churchill),the human rights act needs to be ammended.Half the nut cases hide behind it,and the other half exploit it.As for the mess were in,agreed ,it is down to the crass government.I have been a labour voter all my life,but as you point out ,this is new labour(blair and brown and all his muppets creation),a clone of the tory party,and it will NOT get my vote next time,nor will cameron,that leaves me with what choice???.As for the youth of this country,they are not gullible,but very smart,latching on to the mindless meddling of the PC brigades.Thats why nothing short of national service could restore the respect,and maybe drunken rabble may one day show some respect.

[winston churchill]

unfortunately old salt, the human rights act would have to be ammended if youths were to be drafted .... against their will...... into the armed forces ........
this crass and evil government have almost neutered the country by stealth and cunning ......
ONLY those that voted against so called new labour saw through their little charade ......... but the gullible youth of this country were taken in .... were they not ???

[old salt]

There is no excuse for this so called student.By the way ,where did he get the money to get rat arsed?.The site he chose to releive himself on, was to honour the poor unfortunates who gave their lifes so scum like him can scrounge a good living ,as a student.Watch the feeble price he pays, then put that against the price paid by the named heros on the monument.I hope to god(if there is one)that he gets the book thrown at him.l loups says give him national service,great idea but bring it back for all 16-18 year olds.Thats the only way to sort this younger generation out.

[j.loups]

Bring back National Service for our troublesome heroes !
i.e. Sentenced to 6 months or 12 months National Service which would be run by our Military....Very useful as a source of troops for the Army.

[Carolina, Derbyshire]

This just illustrates the consequences when all too often drunken folk have no idea what they are doing on our streets. It could just have easily been him falling in front of a bus, or getting into a fight, smashing a shop window, drink/driving or trying to rape a girl - all instances of behaviour in a nearby town on Saturday nights. From the health point of view, in years to come much of the population will have serious health issues - how will the NHSD cope then? I like a drink but you have to know when you have had enough.

[Brian Wylie]

So, this is one of our clever students with a bright future so drunk he didn't know what he was doing? God help us all

[wat tyler]

it reminds me of something jeremy clarkson said a while ago .....
a policeman was watching a knife wielding thug attacking some old geezer and then an old lady driver was caught doing 34 mph in a 30 zone and the policeman , ignoring the thug with a knife decided that it was only this old lady driver that was a criminal !!