Criminal Justice System values money over life

[BrilloPad]

The difference here is that one is a judge. One is not.

Judge Selwood, a family court judge, was caught with indecent photographs of children that he had taken himself. His penalty - to retire.

[NigelJK]

You're missing the point of the other offence. The judiciary have to regulate themselves so when people abuse that position the sentences are very heavy 'pour encourager les autres'.

[vetran]

The driver would have been guilty and it would be a driving offence.

only if he were driving dangerously.

[SueEllen]

If the guys had maintained their vehicle to an acceptable standard and something unexpected broke and killed the people - what is the verdict?

The driver would have been guilty and it would be a driving offence.

[VectraMan]

If the guys had maintained their vehicle to an acceptable standard and something unexpected broke and killed the people - what is the verdict?

The other question is what if the brakes were dodgy but nobody was hurt?

It's always a little sad in these cases that it's only punished if somebody gets killed. Surely the penalty for wrongdoing should be the same regardless of whether or not you're unlucky enough to kill someone?

[vetran]

If the guys had maintained their vehicle to an acceptable standard and something unexpected broke and killed the people - what is the verdict?

Accident, In this case it appears only 1 of the 6 brake cylinders was working, I imagine they are like old fashioned brakes and they just gum / rust up, should take 30 minutes to replace one or repair the rubbers.

[vetran]

Two very different crimes, but similar sentences. Just goes to show how the criminal justice system focuses on money and property more than peoples' lives.

I believe that anyone who directly or indirectly causes the death of another person through deliberate acts or negligence should be put away for decades, not a few years.

I would be all for tagging the fraudsters, the embarrassment would be far more suitable than prison.

Whilst I'm all for punishing the shoddy workmanship my understanding is there are regular official inspections as well as by the mechanic not sure how this was missed then.

The Drivers are told to ignore faults & drive without tachos (a few have told me this) so its about time we clamped down on this & Servicing.

[original PM]

It is very generally why there is a distinction between manslaughter and murder.

And it boils down to intent.

Those guys did not intend to kill anyone but by their negligence they did - Manslaughter.

If those guys deliberately planned to drive into people and kill them - murder

Interesting question

If the guys had maintained their vehicle to an acceptable standard and something unexpected broke and killed the people - what is the verdict?

[northernladuk]

Why not? They deliberately didn't maintain their vehicles properly (ok, that wasn't in my quote), which resulted in the deaths of four people. Responsibility doesn't change just because they didn't kill the people directly themselves.

I'm not disagreeing they should have gotten more.. But if you want to argue it you've got to look at the law and then it becomes a minefield, which was where you were going in your post.

[Moose423956]

But there is a problem right there. You can't lump an indirect crime through negligence with a direct crime that was deliberate together. As soon as you do your argument just falls around your ears.

Why not? They deliberately didn't maintain their vehicles properly (ok, that wasn't in my quote), which resulted in the deaths of four people. Responsibility doesn't change just because they didn't kill the people directly themselves.

[northernladuk]

I believe that anyone who directly or indirectly causes the death of another person through deliberate acts or negligence should be put away for decades, not a few years.

But there is a problem right there. You can't lump an indirect crime through negligence with a direct crime that was deliberate together. As soon as you do your argument just falls around your ears.

[Moose423956]

A haulage boss and a mechanic have been jailed following a 2015 tipper truck crash that killed four people in Bath.
Matthew Gordon and Peter Wood were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court to seven and a-half years and five years three months, respectively.

A former deputy judge and his assistant have both been jailed for six years after defrauding more than £600,000 from their law firm's clients.

Two very different crimes, but similar sentences. Just goes to show how the criminal justice system focuses on money and property more than peoples' lives.

I believe that anyone who directly or indirectly causes the death of another person through deliberate acts or negligence should be put away for decades, not a few years.