Post by nickd on Sept 6, 2011 8:28:41 GMT 1
Here's a bunch of 'thugs' you don't hear much about
With all the accent on the rioters; - shouldn't we have a look at all offenders?
There's been a lot of accent on the punishment of the rioters of late. Today no doubt we'll hear a lot about how two thirds of them have criminal records, with Ken Clarke getting on his high horse and blaming it all on the prison system.
Yesterday, there was a lot of coverage on the news about a group of hunters who irresponsibly allowed their hounds to go chasing after a fox which had run off on to a mainline rail track near Yeovil in somerset.
Given that the line is a high speed one, the consequences of this could have been catastrophic. This could potentially have led to the derailment of a train carrying many passengers, the death of animals and the huntsmen who strayed on to the track.
Although the incident was caught on film by an anti-hunt protestor who had the good sense to dial 999 and call the Police, the boys in blue apparently turned up and considered it 'a matter for the British Transport police'; - so not a lot of action there then in bringing the scarlet jacketed hooligans to book. And looking at their past record, I have to wonder if they would have gone quietly.
Now, I wonder what would happen if these had been young lads on the track, worse still wearing the dreaded 'hoodie'? - somehow I think they'd have got carted off to the Police station.
It's not as though this is a first offence either, click on the link to see how often they come before the courts on charges of assault and nothing short of thuggery...
www.realca.co.uk/convicted_hunters.htm
they've also got previous form for running amock on the train tracks, it was some time ago; - I wonder if it's been a regular thing given that the offender 'had been doing this for many years'?
"A hunt supporter of the Seavington Hunt who trespassed on a railway line was caught on camera and reported to the police by a member of League Against Cruel Sports. Yeovil magistrates heard on 8/8/96 how Bernard Martin (58) of New Close, Haselbury Plucknett, Somerset was filmed walking along the track with a number of others during a meet of the hunt. In his defence Martin said "He had been led to believe that checks had been done and no trains were running on that day. He had been doing what he did that day for many years. Ignorance of the law is no excuse but no-one ever stopped him". Martin was given a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £20 costs, a charge of trespass against his son Paul Martin (32) was dismissed at the request of the prosecution."
Read a record of their 'previous' too:
nwhsa.redblackandgreen.net/convicted_hunt_supporters.htm
Now doubt they'll laugh it off over a sherry in the pub in Sunday
They're lucky to get away with it, shouldn't they know better?