Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A STUDENT HAS been jailed for six months today for stealing a case of water from Lidl during a looting spree in Brixton in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The Telegraph reports that Nicolas Robinson had no previous criminal record, and had taken the water as he walked home from his girlfriend’s house. He threw the water away when he was confronted by police, and was arrested and charged.
In handing down the sentence the judge said that he was taking 23-year-old Robinson’s previous good character and early guilty plea into consideration, but also said that the student wilfully contributed towards “the atmosphere of both chaos and sheer lawlessness”.
Robinson’s solicitor has said that his client is ashamed of his actions, and was caught up in the moment. His family were in court when he was sentenced and, according to the Telegraph, they gasped when the sentence was handed down.
BBC reports that people from all walks of life have been appearing before Westminster Magistrate’s Court in the wake of the disturbances. A 17-year-old girl, also an aspiring ballet dancer, was accused of stealing two televisions in Croydon. She had handed herself in after seeing her picture in the paper.
Another woman in court, also accused of stealing a television, had also handed herself in.
Children as young as eleven have appeared in court. Last night the first people were jailed in Manchester in connection with disturbances there.
Police raids have taken place on properties in connection with the civil unrest. Over 1,300 people have been arrested so far.
Today the British Prime Minister admitted that police had got their tactics wrong.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
If u do the crime, u gotta do the time.
Exactly Derek
Just a big silly he goes to prison for stealing water. Drink driving is a much worse offence, you put others in danger.
Yeah but there’s public policy issues to be considered here, namely that the people of the UK and their judiciary won’t put up with a bunch of knackers running riot. They have to be tough on them and not set a legal precedent of being lenient towards rioters/looters.
I don’t remember the courts being opened all night and any sentences being handed out to the looters who destroyed the worlds economy’s!!
Morally though, what is the difference between these thugs and the thugs who broke the banks?
Really expensive lawyers ?
Politicians having an all night court session for themselves?
People complain about our own criminals with 40/50 convictions getting suspended sentences and yet give out about looters getting 6 months! I think they got lucky considering the Mac sentence for rioting is 10 years!
Then sentence him for rioting- locking someone away for 6 months for stealing water only indicates that the authority is annoyed.
How much does it cost to keep somebody in jail? This is a total waste of money. I agree that community service would be much more appropriate and would probably teach a better lesson.
Community service means nothing to these people Mary. Put it this way, if I went up to your place of work or your home and smashed the windows, stole your property, put you out of a job and then burnt the place to the ground would you be happy to see me out picking papers up off the street or painting a wall? People lost their jobs, families lost their income, people were terrified in their own homes and people lost their lives. How so you tell a teenager that they can’t go to University because you can’t afford it, the hoodie across the street doing 200 hours of community service saw to that. Your children have to walk to school because you have no car because the hoodie weeding the park burnt your car out and the insurance doesn’t cover riot damage.
@Brian was he being charged with burning cars too?
Not as for as I know Dave but I never implied that he did. I was referring to rioters in general which he was a part of. He was involved in serious public disorder and stupidly got caught up in the moment but that does not excuse his actions. He should not have been there in the first place. I got caught up in a small riot in Northern Ireland and the first thing I did was get the hell out of there, I didn’t decide to go in to the local chippie and help myself. He made a mistake, fair enough, he won’t make it again. Anybody else thinking of helping themselves in the same sort of situation in future might just think twice about it as well.
Brain you seem a little mislead, all he did was steal water, nothing what you have mentioned.
It cost approx 80’000 to detain a prisoner for a year. There should be a more viable punishment for this guy.
The guy who mugged the malasian kid while pretending to help certainly deserves to go to prison and be named and shamed.
I know he only stole water Itchy and to give him 6 months for doing that if it was a case of shoplifting would not be fair or proportionate. The thing is he was in a group of people that were rioting in the streets. He went in to a store that probably had it’s windows smashed and looted. The judge even said that if he was sent to the Crown Court he would have got a worse sentence. He may not have been involved in the violence but he was still part of the mob. He had no business there, he and others like him only served to swell the ranks of the mob and make it harder for the police to fo their job. What he did was stupid but unfortunetly stupidity is not a defence in a court of law.
i attend court about once or twice a month and the offenders in there know that more often than not they will get probation/ community service. When you hear the amount of convictions they have at times and then receive another community service order you soon realise that there has to be a stronger deterrent.
The thing that disgusts me the most is that a person got jailed for 6 months for stealing water and peado priests are getting like 2 or 3 years or even less!!!
Well take some responsibility then, lobby your local TD’s for reform of the penal system instead of bitching about it on The Journal. Besides, you’re comparing apples and oranges, pretty sure paedophiles get a lot more time than that in the UK.
I can ‘bitch’ anywhere I want to. Plus with this government proposing releasing murders early coz prisons are over crowded what use would it to lobby a TD. Obviously it’s more important to this gov to imprison people for not paying their tv license than peados. I dont know what length of time peados get in the UK but I bet its a lot longer then our ridiculous system.
I lived in London for 30 years and it is important to note that many stories regarding the riots have not been reported. People have been pulled off buses and mugged, others have had their cars smashed. People were being mugged in the street. Most people were afraid to leave their houses from Sun- Wed and there is still a feeling of tension. It has been a horrendous time for many, many people.
My sister lives in Tottenham, she was telling me that the rioters went into a Pizza Express across the road from her house and mugged everyone for the jewellery inside. Engagement/wedding rings etc etc. They then looted the party shop a couple of doors down the road for masks before burning it down as well as the gym beside it.
Apart from those there’s a slightly funnier side – they then looted an estate agents…? Not quite sure what they were expecting to find in there… Anyway, brochures littered the street after they torched the place. Utterly senseless.
The ironic thing about the party shop that was burnt down is that the owners used to donate their profits to a charity called "street kids rescue".
People are a product of their environment, I believe if I was from a rundown estate and jobless like my friends then it’s quite possible I’d join in on the looting tbh
Fortunately I had a good upbringing, am working and already have a PS3 and HD-TV.
It’s good to talk about these things!
What else have got?
The sad thing about all this is some of these rioting and looting teenagers had a chance of good careers now they have fcuked it all up and have a criminal record that will be with them for many years
Aaaaaaawww, poor them!
F**k them!
If they’re the kind of people who would do this sort of thing than they probably had no prospects beyond welfare leeching to begin with. Scum.
6 months is harsh but if these people only got a slap on the wrist it would not be seen as a deterrent. Besides he will probably not do his full stretch anyway. What will affect him even more is the criminal conviction especially as it was during the riots which have pissed everyone off. That conviction will hang over his his for 10 years I think before it is discharged. As someone else already said TV or water it’s still stealing and everyone has a right to go about there lives without some little shit taking their stuff. I’m sure the guy that got jailed would be pretty pissed off if someone broke into his home and nicked any of his stuff.
It’s a harsh sentence but in fairness a tough response is needed to the chaos. He’ll never steal again. One less looter.
Check this out: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/science/01conv.html
and ask yourself why anybody would put an 11-year-old child before a court, or indeed any teenage child.
And the six months for the bottle of water – that is outrageous – makes a mockery of the criminal justice system.
A level-headed approach from leaders and courts would have been more mature that this classic knee jerk reaction… sad…
It’s a pity some of the teens in this country aren’t locked up, scumbags with 20 plus convictions getting a slap on the wrist in court
A bottle of water or a flat screen tv, theft is theft!
I don’t think anybody is disputing it’s theft. This isn’t justice. These people deserve to be punished for being idiots, give him 6 months of community service.
This is just a PR exercise so Cameron can claw back some of his reputation. People looting is disgraceful but this is what happens when countries including Ireland tax and cut welfare for poor people and give rich people tax breaks and tax cuts. What do they expect.
Total rubbish. This was outright and wanton thuggery and people from all social backgrounds were involved.
Your honour, please don’t lock up my client. He is trying his best and promises that he’ll give up mugging and robbing this time.
Having said that, I might loot a shop if everyone else was, who can honestly say they wouldn’t?
I don’t think it’s about taxes, cutbacks and welfare. It is about the way the children have been risen at home. Their lack of respect to everything and everyone. It is also about public which is tolerating this for a long time in this country, too. If there was a discipline and respect in their home you would not see the riots like this. If this would happen in my homeland (Easter Europe – guess which one :D) the police would pacify them within 3 hours. There would be a lot of tear gas, rubber bullets and water canons used for it and lot of blood, casualties and fatalities left after. And you know – their parents would be only to blame.
@David, I gather from that comment if similar riots started over here you would be joining the scumbags and trying to claim you are being victimised by society/government/police!
No I wouldn’t. I don’t agree with the looters. There are better ways to vent ur anger. I believe that the first riot started as there has been rising racial tension between the black community and police and the rest was a combination of angry people at the government and people who just wanted to steal. The person in this article was stupid and got caught. 6 months is too extreme and is just Cameron trying to cover his arse. These riots will continue and spread because I do believe the poorer people in society are just a number and governments don’t care if they cut welfare and increase tax on the normal person. Even in this country people are being raped by tax but the USC gave peole earning over 100k money back!!! We live in a very unequal society and until it’s sorted there will be building tensions between the poor and rich.
I’m surprised by the number of seemingly otherwise law abiding people who decided to take part in these riots. I think this raises some very serious questions which can’t just be explained away with the usual diatribe from those on the right, ie Kevin Myers’ claim that the problem stems from an influx of Afro-Caribbean fatherless bastards. Although it’s not entirely surprising that those to the right use incidents like this to further their own agendas and attack all things ‘liberal’.
Are a lot of people very inclined to follow the crowd especially in a group situation?
Thats a bit harsh for r
No it’s not. It’s not harsh enough
It’s a harsh sentence, of that there can be no doubt. But the authorities there are rightly very determined to show the world that all participants in civil disobedience will pay a heavy price.
For this I salute them.
For God sake, how easy it is it seems to prosecute the little man/woman. But the f..kers who commit fraud and mislead and throw people out of their homes, its not that easy, almost impossible to prosecute them. They have the legislation and the courts on their side.
Some of you know this probably, a bank sells on a mortgage to other financial institutions, for profit of course. Which they are not supposed to do. That is breaking the law!
I’m just wondering how many of the "theft-is-theft" brigade on here have ever streamed or downloaded a film or tv show without paying for it?
Very interesting how you attempt to turn the table. I wonder how the individual got into Lidl to steal the water? Did he/she break a window or a door…the poor thing was a bit thirsty!
This "brigade" doesn’t do illegal downloads, pirated software or steal things from other people. I pay my way like most decent people
day in day out these young kids are bombarded with advertising of things they cannot afford and probably never will. from the 40inch tv you mentioned to latest Nike Air Jordons.. They feel the urge to possess these luxury items but unlike others are unable to afford them with the lack of decent employment.
This builds resentment towards a society they are trying to live and fit into. Thus this resentment sometimes boils over and erupts with trajic consequences. No School, hospital or any church were damaged in the riots. They attacked and looted commercial centers.
Oppurtunistic looting aquiring the latest gadget, the HD tv’s and so on.
We live in a consumer society and a lot of people are being marganilised in it.
These types of incidents will happen again. This old parable may explain it.
A man had a problem with Ants coming out from under his fridge. He would stand on them each day, however, each day the ants would come back. He tried chemicals and posion which helped for a while but soon the ants would return. He was fed up. He decided to look at deeply at the problem. He cleaned inside and outside of the fridge, he then looked at the back of the fridge. To his suprise he found a rotten piece of fruit lying there. He removed the fruit and soon the ants disappeared. He regularly cleans and upkeeps his kitchen.
…some water comes to mind
it is heartening to see the amount of good citizens on here defending this tough stance on crime and standing up against the left wingers and criminals. Sew it into them i say. Cant wait to see all the other sentences past down.
Standing up against left-wingers and criminals ha are they one and the same?
glad you agree :)
If you read my comment correctly, I did not make a statement I asked a question. But not really surprised seen as most quasi-fascists tend to ignore facts because it gets in the way of their opinions. If your the archetypal "right-winger" I am very proud to be a freethinking Left-Wing Marxist
Its ok you keep hippying away pal, il keep working hard being honest paying my taxes furthering my education while holding down a good career all so i can support people like you. BTW what changes have you made in your life to support your communist ideals?? Do you type your rubbish on a laptop keyboard designed by capitalists? do you live in a home built by capitalists? do you accept a welfare check paid for by capitalists? do you wear clothes designed by capitalists? do you drive a car or use transport designed by capitalists? If your answer to the above is yes then wow what a great commie you are :)
Sorry not to fit your stereotype, but I dont claim any social welfare, I actually study politics and philosophy in university so Im not exactly the "welfare claiming yob" that you wish I was. Im not a communist Im a socialist there is a difference. Of course I use products created by capitalists, socialists may be idealists but not idiots. We live in a capitalist society, we aim to change society not remove ourselves from it. Personally I believe in a very strong work ethic I dont agree with career welfare claimers I accept they do exist, its an insult to genuine jobseekers. But I want workers to be paid an equal wage in relation to the amount of profit they produce. Also I agree that people who engaged in criminality during the riots should be held accountable, its deplorable that people attack and rob shops of people who work very hard. My only issue is that efforts should be made to prevent it happening in the future, ie investing in communities etc.
politics and philosophy wow i mean wow thats really gonna benefit society cheers in advance for finding a cure for cancer or aids oh thats right your gonna be too busy protesting about everything and anything to bother. Ya i think il just keeping plugging away in the ol science gig sure why not its an honest wage after all. Anyway im off to bed im up in a few hours to go to work and help society. I guess your never going to need to worry about that unless you get a job as a philosopher or a politician or a philosophical politician or perhaps teach others to be that. ;)
@Randy. Can you not respond to a comment without personally attacking someone with misguided assumptions…all the while patting yourself on the back?
Thanks Julia, try to have a reasonable conversation with someone….but hey what can you do
Tit
So what does Randy do that’s of such a huge importance to society?
Over the top sentence. Wouldn’t be like the English to over react to insubordination. 1916 come to mind?
Or Bloody Sunday!
Stupid comment, seriously stupid
If it kicks off over here we are f##ked.The gardai dont have the numbers to deal with it just like london met police.
They are doing/playing the only card they are dealt.
@Randy. No doubt capitalism had encouraged innovation over the years. It has also encouraged the development of a breed of heartless asshole who will bring this world to an end if we don’t throttle them. For this reason I favour another way.
Good call. Theft is theft. It is a breakdown of what is acceptable in our society. Pre-packaged water or a 50 inch LCD television or a pair of jeans. If it was stolen, then one member of society infringed upon the rights and property of another member of society. We cannot tolerate this kind of breach. The very concept of society is that we are all allowed boundaries which should not be breached. There should be no shame arising out of insisting on this precept and/or any action taken to ensure that our individual rights in this regard, are protected.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that the protagonists involved in the riots in the UK are people who don’t understand the responsibility they have to respect the rights of their fellow human beings. Unfortunately, that brings the question back to their parents. The concept of Political Correctness has a lot to answer for here.
So the little bastards that a “PC” society has allowed, now take their chances with the law when it comes to criminality of the sort witnessed in the major cities of the UK, KNOW they can get away with it, or at least believe they can. This gives a sort of legitimacy to “vigilante style” groups: we must be allowed to protect ourselves.
However, there are any number of groups of people who are so willing to “protect” our society in the short term, whose notion of a society is equally as unacceptable as the people involved in the riots.
“My enemy’s enemy is my friend”. Possibly the most flawed piece of human logic, it must be avoided in the UK.
There are 2 issues for the UK. 1…Containing the current situation and 2…Re-creating an environment where parents (or parent…where that is a single father or mother!) have some authority. Parents must have a range of parental actions returned to them including the right to a physically harmless level of corporal punishment. While it is commendable for “society” to demand respect for the rights of children, I believe that “society” has infringed on the rights and the responsibilities of parents. Such infringement exists not only in the UK but also in any country of what we call the Free World. The result is what we re witnessing in the cities of the UK now.
Otherwise, we are destined to bring up children who have no respect for law and order and who, due to appalling behaviour, give legitimacy to the likes of the EDL who have no concept of multi-cultural understanding…ie. that we all, to a man/woman, have rights.
This secondary consequence is much more dangerous to society as we know it.
Most of those clowns that were interviewed couldn’t even string a sentence together (init, whatever that means). They don’t have political views or agendas. They’re thieves and opportunists and would just as quickly rob they’re own family! If they were so passionate about getting back at the government or ‘rich’ shop owners surely a bit of rain wouldn’t have stopped. Hard line zero tolerance is the only way.
I think he was just taking the piss.
No matter what your politics, the sociological reasons for the riots will be examined if nothing but to protect those with wealth. If social exclusion reasons or lack of regulation is the cause they will be addressed not because it will better life of a kid from one of these areas but because those with money want to protect their place in society. They can only lock all these people up for so long. We have similiar areas here that produce the same class of people willing to strike out society given the opportunity as in the "love ulster" march.
What we have here is a case of terminal stupidity, the idea of stealing water just makes no sense, if he wanted water all he had to do was turn his tap on, it’s less physically demanding than running down the street with a crate and you don’t get locked up for it, a crate of water is heavier than a plasma TV, worth a lot less and as you can get it just by turning on your tap, I think a 6 month sentence is quite reasonable, they have education in prisons, if we can teach him to turn a tap on then it benefits society as a whole, someone will have to remind him to turn it off when he’s had enough or his house might get flooded but one step at a time.
What do you expect? Do you think these or a lot of other people feel they have any representation in government? Why do the see from government or people in power? Do they see law abiding honorable role models
The rioters should have responsibility for their actuons but, are they just fed-up with what they see going on around them? I think they are.
Ah, there are lots of reasons for this. It’s mainly about a messed up society & also maybe class difference.
have your say