So you've pulled Nigella Lawson...

[cailin maith]

I really hope she sticks her nose in the air and gets on with her life. She's done nothing to be ashamed of and shouldn't be judged.

[formant]

He was cautioned because that's all the police can do if the victim doesn't complain.

Now, I understand why many such cases never make it to the police. In any normal person's circumstances you can keep these occurances quiet, act like they never happened, and attempt to 'move on'. She doesn't have that option. I find it bizarre that even though pretty much the whole media-connected world now knows that her husband is the perpetrator of domestic violence, she would think it makes a difference as to whether he has a criminal record or not (and the caution, that he got without her report, still taints any enhanced CRB check). I do think it's a bit of a problem if victims are so publicly trivialising domestic abuse.

However, her behaviour right now might be just that - the immediate response. In the long run there'll be interviews, domestic abuse charity work, and probably the odd book about it all. Cause at the end of the day, she's long accepted that she's living a rather public life.

[Old Hack]

He was cautioned because that's all the police can do if the victim doesn't complain.

Now, I understand why many such cases never make it to the police. In any normal person's circumstances you can keep these occurances quiet, act like they never happened, and attempt to 'move on'. She doesn't have that option. I find it bizarre that even though pretty much the whole media-connected world now knows that her husband is the perpetrator of domestic violence, she would think it makes a difference as to whether he has a criminal record or not (and the caution, that he got without her report, still taints any enhanced CRB check). I do think it's a bit of a problem if victims are so publicly trivialising domestic abuse.

However, her behaviour right now might be just that - the immediate response. In the long run there'll be interviews, domestic abuse charity work, and probably the odd book about it all. Cause at the end of the day, she's long accepted that she's living a rather public life.

That's poppy cock formant. If there is evidence, than an assault has taken place (in this case common assault), then they can take action; no one has to make a complaint and the police can actually force a witness to appear in court. In this case, they decided they wanted to deal with the common assault by way of caution, possibly as he had a clean record before. This is common.

[formant]

Goodness, on the grounds of pictures alone, I'm glad the police doesn't do anything other than caution, if that.
There's just presumably a lot more to it than the pictures alone, stuff that would only go on the record if there was a testimony from the victim. Meaning it may have been worse than it looked (I'm not in the "all he did was grab her throat"-camp).

[Old Hack]

Goodness, on the grounds of pictures alone, I'm glad the police doesn't do anything other than caution, if that.
There's just presumably a lot more to it than the pictures alone, stuff that would only go on the record if there was a testimony from the victim. Meaning it may have been worse than it looked (I'm not in the "all he did was grab her throat"-camp).

Formant, the pictures show 5-6 assaults, known as common assault, as there is no physical damage. He was questioned under the offence of common assault (the only charge he could have faced), and they decided to deal with the admission of common assault (again, the only thing he could have been charged with), by way of caution.

There's saying you want to know more before you pass judgement, and there's pontificating there is more. I am completely unsure what your point is now, but the facts are, he's admitted common assault, and nothing NL could have added, would have made the charges any different, and the likely outcome would have been the same.

If there was bruising, then it would have scaled up to Assault leading to Actual Bodily Harm (ABH), which also could have been dealt with via a caution.

[shaunbhoy]

There's just presumably a lot more to it than the pictures alone

I don't think the old "no smoke without fire" school of thought stands up very well in court.

[mudskipper]

When the person you love and are intimate with has a tendency to 'fly off the handle', you spend your life walking on eggshells, trying not to upset them. Physical intimidation is usually the tip of a large iceberg of emotional abuse, the point being that the victims are rarely in a confident, strong, assertive frame of mind. If you are one of life's natural 'pleasers' then you're much more vulnerable to this sort of situation, and much more likely to take some of the responsibility for it on yourself.

[proggy]

When the person you love and are intimate with has a tendency to 'fly off the handle', you spend your life walking on eggshells, trying not to upset them. Physical intimidation is usually the tip of a large iceberg of emotional abuse, the point being that the victims are rarely in a confident, strong, assertive frame of mind. If you are one of life's natural 'pleasers' then you're much more vulnerable to this sort of situation, and much more likely to take some of the responsibility for it on yourself.

That is true, however we don't know the first thing about their situation. Say for example a someone constantly taunts another person and psychologically bullies them for years. Then the victim snaps one day and grabs the bully by the neck? still assault but there you can understand the action.

Not saying that's what happened here, but it is possible as is he is a evil bully. Point is, none of you know.

[suityou01]

Formant, the pictures show 5-6 assaults, known as common assault, as there is no physical damage. He was questioned under the offence of common assault (the only charge he could have faced), and they decided to deal with the admission of common assault (again, the only thing he could have been charged with), by way of caution.

There's saying you want to know more before you pass judgement, and there's pontificating there is more. I am completely unsure what your point is now, but the facts are, he's admitted common assault, and nothing NL could have added, would have made the charges any different, and the likely outcome would have been the same.

If there was bruising, then it would have scaled up to Assault leading to Actual Bodily Harm (ABH), which also could have been dealt with via a caution.

WHS. Pictures are admissible which is why we have CCTV.

[Mich the Tester]

That is true, however we don't know the first thing about their situation. Say for example a someone constantly taunts another person and psychologically bullies them for years. Then the victim snaps one day and grabs the bully by the neck? still assault but there you can understand the action.

Taunting? Rather different to grabbing at someone's neck, idiot.