Ronnie Biggs Page 2

Quote: Jack Massey @ July 1 2009, 8:24 PM BST

And it is an interesting concept you have of it there Maurice. Every newspaper in the country apart from the Express at the time of the robbery congratulated the robbers on the Robin Hood style robbery. I do have a lot of admiration for Biggs.

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I don't think anyone can critcise the planning (and most of the execution) of the robbery. Just the act in general, itself. Much like the organisation of the Third Reich.

Quote: Jack Massey @ July 1 2009, 8:24 PM BST

And talking of robbing the state, what about these MPs. No doubt they won't be sentenced. They do show remorse (BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN CAUGHT) so they don't really anyway, but because Biggs won't show any and play their fake game, he is being left in prison to rot.

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Haha, now that is very very true.

Quote: Maurice Minor @ July 1 2009, 8:32 PM BST

BUT one of my hates is the way Government bend to 'popular opinion'; like anything can be decided on what the press say or what they can spin well.

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Deffo. Whatever happened to conviction politics? Bring back Maggie, I say.

However. Let's go back for a moment. Assume that the robbery had only taken place 10 years ago, and that he had been in prison in the meantime. Would he not be released on compassionate grounds? The guy's got maybe a year or so to live, by the sounds of it. Can't talk, can't eat, confined to a wheelchair... I don't want to get all Sun/poor-person emotive about it, but if he hadn't been on the run and was still serving the legitimate uninterrupted run of his sentence, would they still be keeping him inside?

I can't be arsed to read all the long responses.

But he's old and ill. People literally get away with murder nowadays.

Let him out!

You're a man after my heart Dave.

Quote: Maurice Minor @ July 1 2009, 8:46 PM BST

To steal from the state, piss it up the wall, then expect the state to treat your ailments is galling and I would imagine that he is being made to pay the price.

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Well we're paying anyway, aren't we? Just, right now, we're paying for his accommodation, entertainment, clothing, food and drink as well.

Scrap the HRA.

Agreed.

Quote: Jack Massey @ July 1 2009, 8:56 PM BST

You're a man after my heart Dave.

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I wouldn't quite say that.

No, I would say we've bonded quite well on this forum over the years.

Quote: Jack Massey @ July 1 2009, 9:09 PM BST

No, I would say we've bonded quite well on this forum over the years.

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Apart from one big thing maybe - and I'm not bragging!

Quote: Jack Massey @ July 1 2009, 7:35 PM BST

In my view, keeping him in is just making a mockery of justice, especially when you consider that Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Luke McCormick who despite being able to afford a taxi, drove home drunk and killed two children (siblings so a big blow for the parents) and he will serve seven years in prison, which is less than what Ronnie has got. Surely, this makes British justice a laughing stock.

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Different crimes and circumstances entirely.

Biggs:
Lifelong criminal who went to great lengths to plan his crimes.
Prison escapee.
Wholly unrepentant.
Lived a comfortable and famous existence for more than 30 years and only turned himself in when he was broke and ill. He tried to get released due to health reasons almost as soon as he set foot back in the UK.

I'm not familiar with the footballer's case. Seven years is a lengthy sentence for such a crime. I would only argue for longer if he killed the children intentionally, was a repeat offender, had a lengthy criminal record and/or refused to express any remorse for his acts. Biggs fits that description, how does McCormick compare?

Yes, but two small children have died because this man couldn't be bothered to get a taxi and blatently break the law by drink driving. Fair enough, he didn't want the children to die, but he has commited a crime that is far more gruesome to what Biggs did and if you choose to drink and drive, you know the risks and the fact two young kids can die and the driver gets seven years is a shocker in my opinion. He should have got twenty years, ten years for each kid. Ironically, McCormick did a video before the incident, telling people not to use a mobile phone and drive.

A friend of mine killed a pedestrian while driving drunk and served 30 days in the county jail. I had another friend who was a quadriplegic who was killed by a drunk woman who ran over him and the friend who was pushing his wheelchair. She served one year in jail.

Sentences depend a great deal upon the circumstances of the crimes. A person can wind up dead in 2 cases, yet one person walks away with probation and the other faces life in prison. Intent plays a huge role when it comes time for punishment.

Well that's what I was referring to when I said British Justice is a laughing stock.

Keep Biggs in prison. He lived a great life on the run, now he has to do his time, whatever his health.

Am I right in saying that the great train robbers coshed either the driver or the guard over the head and he was very seriously hurt? Sort of never recover hurt?

Quote: Jack Massey @ July 1 2009, 8:24 PM BST

He actually came back because he couldn't get the treatment for his cancer in Brazil.
And it is an interesting concept you have of it there Maurice. Every newspaper in the country apart from the Express at the time of the robbery congratulated the robbers on the Robin Hood style robbery. I do have a lot of admiration for Biggs.

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Didn't Robin Hood give steal from the rich and give to the poor? Not quite the same as stealing from the people for yourself.