There is hope yet!
15 July 2008, 11:56 AM
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There is hope yet!
Originally Posted by BEEB News
A senior health worker who challenged a gang of anti-social underage drinkers with a stick has been cleared of taking the law into his own hands.
Former army corporal Benjamin Littlewood-Hillsdon saw the youths vault his fence in Weston-super-Mare.
The 34-year-old and his brother-in-law intended only to hold the three 16-year-olds until police arrived.
Bristol Crown Court cleared the men of two counts of causing actual bodily harm and one of causing GBH.
After seeing the youths grappling with his 23-year-old relative, Mr Littlewood-Hillsdon hit out with his stick in self-defence and pulled the teenagers away.
He then called the police but when officers turned up after two hours it was to arrest the pair who found themselves on trial for assaulting the gang. That left him feeling "let down" by the force, he said.
After the case Mr Littlewood-Hillsdon added: "I feel very relieved and grateful to the jury." The court heard one of the boys, Joshua Morris, now 17, had lost the sight in one eye after the incident.
The jury were quick to clear the defendants, both of Berkeley Crescent, Uphill, of all blame. Judge David Ticehurst told the teenager's mother: "He'll get over it - Gordon Brown's only got one eye."
Another of the youths, also 17, who cannot be named, will be sentenced later this year for an attack on a plumber who told a gang to stop urinating in the street.
That attack took place 10 months after the incident involving Mr Littlewood-Hillsdon.
Former army corporal Benjamin Littlewood-Hillsdon saw the youths vault his fence in Weston-super-Mare.
The 34-year-old and his brother-in-law intended only to hold the three 16-year-olds until police arrived.
Bristol Crown Court cleared the men of two counts of causing actual bodily harm and one of causing GBH.
After seeing the youths grappling with his 23-year-old relative, Mr Littlewood-Hillsdon hit out with his stick in self-defence and pulled the teenagers away.
He then called the police but when officers turned up after two hours it was to arrest the pair who found themselves on trial for assaulting the gang. That left him feeling "let down" by the force, he said.
After the case Mr Littlewood-Hillsdon added: "I feel very relieved and grateful to the jury." The court heard one of the boys, Joshua Morris, now 17, had lost the sight in one eye after the incident.
The jury were quick to clear the defendants, both of Berkeley Crescent, Uphill, of all blame. Judge David Ticehurst told the teenager's mother: "He'll get over it - Gordon Brown's only got one eye."
Another of the youths, also 17, who cannot be named, will be sentenced later this year for an attack on a plumber who told a gang to stop urinating in the street.
That attack took place 10 months after the incident involving Mr Littlewood-Hillsdon.
15 July 2008, 11:59 AM
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15 July 2008, 12:03 PM
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The police seem to operate to their own agenda, trouble is no ****** knows what that is!......
What a complete waste of taxpayers money, court time and unecessary stress for the people concerned!
What a complete waste of taxpayers money, court time and unecessary stress for the people concerned!
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15 July 2008, 12:07 PM
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Originally Posted by BBC
After the case Mr Littlewood-Hillsdon added: "I feel very relieved and grateful to the jury." The court heard one of the boys, Joshua Morris, now 17, had lost the sight in one eye after the incident.
I mean of course these kids are need keeping in check and all, but maybe a bit excessive.
Originally Posted by BBC
Judge David Ticehurst told the teenager's mother: "He'll get over it - Gordon Brown's only got one eye."
There's a fine line between defending your property and family, and going overboard. Of course I don't know the circumstances behind the child having damage done to his eye, but since the man was charged with GBH (and the CPS took it to court) there was obviously foul play.
Tricky one, on the one hand, I would want to defend my property, but on the other, if one of my kids had his eye put out by someone, whatever the circumstances, it would be difficult to swallow.
15 July 2008, 12:08 PM
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15 July 2008, 12:13 PM
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You're only getting one side of a story.
Police arrive, see some injured boys and then see that injuries are caused by someone there.
They get a story from injured people and one from the other party. The people admit to causing the injuries and have to be arrested in order for the incident to be investigated properly so evidence isn't lost.
Evidence is then put to the CPS who decide whether charges are brought, not the police.
Courts then decide - it's called the criminal justice system, and it sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.
It's easy to read the story after once all's sorted and form an opinion on what should have been done once all the facts are out. Crystal ***** aren't standard issue to police, unfortunately.
15 July 2008, 12:16 PM
#11
In my experience, the police will pursue, and charge, the easy targets. I have had TWO experiences of this myself, where they wouldn't turn out for us, but were there in a flash if they thought we were going to do something about it ourselves.
As stated above, their agenda is a mystery to most right thinking people.
Alcazar
As stated above, their agenda is a mystery to most right thinking people.
Alcazar
15 July 2008, 12:20 PM
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In my experience, the police will pursue, and charge, the easy targets. I have had TWO experiences of this myself, where they wouldn't turn out for us, but were there in a flash if they thought we were going to do something about it ourselves.
As stated above, their agenda is a mystery to most right thinking people.
Alcazar
As stated above, their agenda is a mystery to most right thinking people.
Alcazar
As Fatherpierre said, the Police are not Judge and Jury, they are there to enforce the law. The CPS is there to decide what cases they should prosecute. In this case, they obviously felt that the defendants actions were excessive given the circumstances.
The Jury disagreed
The Justice system has done its job.
I would be far more concerned had the matter not been subject to scrutiny.
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