Man faces jail for handing in a gun.

[The Rogue Wolf]

Intent is a core principle of ethics and justice. Anyone in the legal system stating that intent is irrelevant is showing a glaring flaw in their ethical reasoning.

Pre-freaking-cisely. Intent is the difference between self-defense and assault. Removing its consideration from the legal process turns the judiciary process into a mindless tyranny.

I suppose Mr. Clarke should have just waited for some innocent child to come along and blow his/her face off with the shotgun. Then he wouldn't be going to prison. And they wonder why nobody does the right thing anymore....

 

[SantoUno]

Why the hell do people let these injustices occur ?

 

[T-Bone24]

Their are so many cases like this, and far too often do people simply say, "Its the law." The law shouldn't be something written on a piece of paper, it should be his intent.

Being "Strict Liability" means intent means sweet fuck all. Let me compare it to speeding again. You would still be fined for fleeing raving axe lunatics at high speed, and you would still be fined if you were missing your favourite TV show.

 

[Krythe]

Take a good hard look, my fellow Americans... This is what Obama's leading us towards...

 

[darthcendiarygrenade]

This man has every right to call 'shenanigans' on this case and have it appealed with a sensible judge and jury.

 

[BaldursBananaSoap]

Oh well , this thread has now turned into a "Bash the UK legal system," thread.

Do I need to bring out the American stories?

How about the woman who drank too much water when she joined a competition then died? The family won thousands of dollars even though the health risks were displayed clearly.

How about the recent kid who shot himself at a gun show, with a gun given to him by a fifteen year old who worked there?

How about the Judge Roy Pearson who launched a lunatic legal siege on a dry cleaners over a lost pair of pants?

How about the Professor Priya Venkatesan? She hired lawyers to sue members of the class, claiming the way they kept complaining about her inability to teach constituted a "hostile work environment." She also sued her superiors.

How about New York State Supreme Court Justice Jack Battaglia who slipped on a mopped floor and fractured his knee. As a respected member of the community and a seasoned legal professional, he sued the city for 1 million.

Wait, there's more. He also sued the janitor. Yes, a $136,000-a-year judge looking to collect from the lady who literally cleans up after him ... because she got the floor wet while mopping it.

How about The Musical, lawyer Arelia Taveras gambled with client money. In an unsurprising twist, she lost it.

In fact she lost over a million dollars, her legal practice, her home, her parents' home and claims she even tried to kill herself, so she clearly lost at that too.

Of course, none of it is her fault, which is why she sued seven major Atlantic City casinos for a $20 million jackpot because she's addicted to gambling.

You see? They're both completely fucked.

 

[Diablini]

The UK seems more like the Government from "V for Vendetta" every single fucking day.


Fuck you UK (Legal system, and hooligans) if a man does a good deed, and does everything in his power to help the country he fought for, you SHOULD NOT pull bullshit like that!

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone up for some good ol' fashion coup d'état?
V invites you all:

 

[MrSnugglesworth]

Arresting hims fine, but after that it should've just been "Don't do it, call authorities, we will handle it" and then maybe let him off with a fine, but at the very least a warning.

 

[Del-Toro]

Well, the law is the law. But then again he DID phone ahead, and if they gave him the go ahead then maybe he should have just asked the police to send someone for it. Just a thought, but I figure that would have worked out pretty well.

 

[CrysisMcGee]

extenuating circumstances comes to mind. Like I was speeding because somebody was shooting at me. Or my son needed to get to the hospital. Or Wife.

The worst part is he was trying to help. Nothing makes somebody more pissed off when you are trying to help, and its certain it is something that will help, and they throw you in jail for it.

You know the ony thing the Judge accomplished? People are gonna give the Legal system a big "Fuck You". Instead of helping, people are just gonna say "Fuck em'. What have they ever done for me?"

 

[metza]

Oh well , this thread has now turned into a "Bash the UK legal system," thread.

Do I need to bring out the American stories?

seriously, a messed up legal system isn't a UK-specific thing.

 

[megasamus1]

This sounds similar to a case that occurred at my school, about 2 years before I moved to the area.
Basically, some senior was arrested because he had a hunting rifle in his car, as he was going hunting after class. Some teacher noticed the gun in the BACKSEAT of his car, then let the office know. Soon enough, the kid was arrested and sent to jail, I haven't heard of this guy since.
Any other stories out there?

 

[Worgen]

ehh, I can tell you worse things the american court system has done, thats only 5 years, here in tx being innocent is no reason we wont execute you

 

[Skuffyshootster]

This is messed up.

See, there's this thing called "Strict Liability", it basically means, "I don't care why you did it, it's still illegal". Speeding, for example is a strict liability crime, so Mr Important can't just claim he's in a rush and get away with it.

Anyway, Paul Clarke, found a discarded shotgun and decided he should hand it in to the proper authorities, saying "I thought it was my duty to get [the gun] off the streets". So, instead of recieving a reward, or even a hug and a "well done", he was arrested and chucked in a cell, as possession of a firearm, in the UK, is a "Strict Liability" offense. He even phoned ahead to announce his intention to hand it in, so the police wouldn't gun him down in fear.

The judge hearing the case says, "This is an unusual case, but in law there is no dispute that Mr Clarke has no defence to this charge. The intention of anybody possessing a firearm is irrelevant."

Linky! [http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/news/Ex-soldier-faces-jail-handing-gun/article-1509082-detail/article.html]

So, thoughts, feelings, arguments? Feel free to spew them out below.

The jurors should be shot.
This is why I'm planning on leaving the UK, because they will give 5 years to a man who handed in a shotgun, and the same time these scum bags get less then 5 years:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/8359260.stm

I have just found my new avatar.

It's times like these I'm actually quite happy to be living in the U.S.

Stupid England...

 

[iamthehorde]

stoooooooooopiddedy.

 

[Spitfire175]

In Finland we have a policy about this: no-one will be charged with anything for handing over a firearm to the authorities, it is, in fact, encouraged.

 

[Wadders]

Why am I not surprised at this at all? It is a sad day when a responsible person can hand in a gun to a police station, with the intent of preventing harm to others, and be arrested for it.

Such is life in modern Britain though. I'm surprised we're no the laughing stock of the western world. Oh wait...

 

[Mylon]

I learned this lesson myself in school years ago. I was rifling through another kid's backpack (why is irrelevant, ) and found a knife. I dropped it down a sewer grate so it wouldn't be used for anything bad. I ended up getting suspended for it, even though the knife was recovered (by an adult)

The lesson learned? Fuck authority.

 

[iamthehorde]

Oh well , this thread has now turned into a "Bash the UK legal system," thread.

Do I need to bring out the American stories?

How about the woman who drank too much water when she joined a competition then died? The family won thousands of dollars even though the health risks were displayed clearly.

How about the recent kid who shot himself at a gun show, with a gun given to him by a fifteen year old who worked there?

How about the Judge Roy Pearson who launched a lunatic legal siege on a dry cleaners over a lost pair of pants?

How about the Professor Priya Venkatesan? She hired lawyers to sue members of the class, claiming the way they kept complaining about her inability to teach constituted a "hostile work environment." She also sued her superiors.

How about New York State Supreme Court Justice Jack Battaglia who slipped on a mopped floor and fractured his knee. As a respected member of the community and a seasoned legal professional, he sued the city for 1 million.

Wait, there's more. He also sued the janitor. Yes, a $136,000-a-year judge looking to collect from the lady who literally cleans up after him ... because she got the floor wet while mopping it.

How about The Musical, lawyer Arelia Taveras gambled with client money. In an unsurprising twist, she lost it.

In fact she lost over a million dollars, her legal practice, her home, her parents' home and claims she even tried to kill herself, so she clearly lost at that too.

Of course, none of it is her fault, which is why she sued seven major Atlantic City casinos for a $20 million jackpot because she's addicted to gambling.

You see? They're both completely fucked.

wow. that´s a lot of sueing. i guess everythings fucked nowadays.