Is Our Justice System Failing

So she has served 7 years for killing 6 children, equivalent to 1 year and 2 months for each life! - It is beyond belief!

Especially when you consider that in Scotland they are trying to implement a law which could result in a prison term of up to 7 years for using hurty words.

The world really has gone totally mad!

 

You can never judge these things from newspapers alone. The story telling is often designed to inflame more than inform.

 

It sounded like the father of five of the children poured the gas and set the fire, so she didn't do the actual deed. I would like to hear more of the story.

 

I suspect that is why she is out.... an inadequate personality in thrall to a PoS who pulled a crazy stunt with deeply tragic consequences. She likely has a remorse of which he is totally incapable.

I am FAR more angry about police behaviour and outrageous double standards policing genuinely peaceful protesters with violence and petting the real thugs on bender knee.

 

Yes the husband was clearly the evil filth that was primarily responsible However it still doesn't change the fact that she was found guilty of being complicit in the deaths of six children, and sentenced to 17 years for manslaughter and is out after only serving 7 years, which is less than half of the original sentence. Stupidity and poor judgement of partners are not mitigating factors in my opinion.

 

Fairly unfortunate choice of words, there, Cal!

It is easy to feel aggrieved about both the sentence and the relative brevity of it - especially if you've seen any of the documentaries about her and her husband - Mick Philpott. The whole thing was a poorly planned and badly executed (pun very much intended) attempt to gain more media coverage and a bigger/better council house. She wasn't exactly a pawn in Philpott's bigger game but she was very definitely under his violent control so deserves some small crumb of empathy.

He, however, deserves to spend much longer incarcerated than the minimum tariff 15 years he was given and, I suspect, it's only the nuances- and difficulties - of our criminal justice system that led to a manslaughter rather than murder charge.

If there is an eternal afterlife, let's hope his is spent in eternal pain.

p.s. you can find one of the documentaries on MY5 https://www.channel5.com/show/philpott-housefire-the-truth/

 

Actually today is irony day.....you spotted it. See spokes thread on unspoken.."

 

I have sat through enough trials to know that a few column inches or 20 secs to camera tells you b***** all about the deeper context.

 

Er, she has. All prisoners sentenced like her get 50% remission. You have to misbehave not to.

 

Wor lass did the ironing in the living room today because I was assembling flat pack furniture in the kitchen
Ooooh the irony

 

Normal service has been resumed!

 

Yes I got a surprise when I did jury service, it was shocking just how gullible most of the jurors were, and how they were incapable of distinguishing between actual factual evidence and supposition, and they had little comprehension of the consequence of their actions.

I know that it is the norm these days to only serve a half sentence, but my issue with this case is that she was found guilty and sentenced, regardless of how controlling and abusing her husband may have been, it was the lives of her six children... and as for him, he should have got a sentence for each of the 6 lives he was responsible for.

 

Sentencing is a purely judicial decision.

 

This, all day long.

 

On a 17year sentence she would only get a third remission, half remission is only given to those with an 8years or less sentence. Manslaughter usually carries a life sentence but with a shorter tarrif than a murder sentance. I don't have any sympathy for either of those murdering scum bags leave them to rot in prison at least the public are safe from them while they remain banged up.

 

Very true, but the original question was about “Is our justice system failing?”
No, probably not... but it feels wrong.
This woman was found guilty of her part in the killing of 6 children. She is out of prison 7 years later. Presumably the sentence passed by the judge falls within a degree of guidance from historical cases or some written parameters... but to the unenlightened bloke like myself, this seems like a light judgement for someone involved with the planning and “actioning” such a reckless and mind-bogglingly stupid plan for self-betterment.
I don’t know what another 7 years in jail would actually achieve; or how these terms are arrived at (presumably some attempt of reducing the prison’s population)... But the youngest lad would have been only 12 now, in my head I feel that she shouldn’t be out until he would have been 18! That way the sentence kinda means something... I do understand that it’s some kind of idealist notion, but that’s how my head works

 

Yes, it certainly is failing.
Magistrates courts closures, prosecution by camera, fixed or mobile, fixed penalty notice or nothing.