“he wouldnt be able to afford to vote for em anyway”

“Of course Martin from Knowle is right. The pathetically short sentence is no deterrent for these thugs who simply see it as a nice little holiday. If our prisons weren't like 3 star hotels then perhaps it would make a difference. Try locking them up in bare prison cells without their mobile phones, pool tables, satellite TV's, Ipods and computer games and we would begin to see a change. It should be 3 strikes and out i.e. a 10 year stretch without the cosseting they get now. Prison DOES work and IS a deterrant if it harsh.

Why should the law abiding public have such yobs foisted on us in some sort of insane game of Russian roulette, waiting to see who will be their next victim?”

“David of Bath. I don't disagree with you. The point I was attempting to make is that there are tens of thousands of idiots like this within our society, and if your assumption is correct, that wasters like him will never change, then we have a major problem on our hands. Locking him up (three times this year, now four) doesn't seem to have worked. Imprisonment for life for goons like these would cost a fortune, and probably require an area the size of the Isle of Wight.

Is it not time we seriously considered ALL options? Perhaps two years in a Khaki uniform and hob nailed boots might work! I'm pretty certain that 28 weeks in a warm environment, surrounded by similar thoughtless idiots will only lead to more mindless acts of violence and vandalism on their release.”

“Knock it off, Dave. This eejit isn't breaking into police covert capture cars because he's aspiring to a yuppie lifestyle, or even a more modest one. If he had even one vaguely aspirational bone in his body, he'd have at least maybe paid some attention in school, despite whatever obstacles might have been put in his way, don't you think?
Inept thievery and mouth-breathing IS his lifestyle, and very likely will be the zenith of this waster's contribution to life on this planet.”

“Obviously an illiterate plonker which our justice system fails adequately to protect us from, as with those thugs who ran down the young lad as reported on Monday.

However, are not the bankers who have run off with millions for failing us just as culpable. They can read and write, and probably come from reasonable backgrounds.

Youngsters like this one, who have no education, probably no parental guidance, no prospects of employment. Basically no hope. They see these spivs in the city in their swish cars paying thousands for a bottle of plonk, and say, 'hey! I want some of that'.

Not right, I agree. But how did we arrive here?”

“Don't put yourself down Stephen.”

“You can always guarantee that a crime report will bring the usual idiotic comments.”

“at least when this guy is in prison 28 wks he should be taught the basics of reading and writing and then maybe he won`t feel such a plonker when he is released and maybe does something better with his life.i agree the sentence is far to lenient.”

“Everyone makes a few mistakes in their lives and I think most people should be given a chance or two to sort themselves out.

this guy has had too many chances.

The government needs to spend some more of our taxes on some more prisons and then the legal system needs to lock people like this away for a seriously long time so that the rest of us can get on with living.
Of course it might put a few legal beagles out of a job, but the crime rate would drop drastically.
Eventually the message might get through and we might not need so many prisons for a while. But we need them now.”

“More importantly Alex, how's he gonna vote for the hugely talented Bristol girl group?”