Arrest over cycle race sabotage

[barry2017]

Alright, what should the judge do in your opinion? 4 answers in no particular order could be:

1. Put him in prison? He won't get any better, in fact chances are he'll get worse. And he'll cost the prison service a fortune while he's inside, which you'll pay for in tax.
2. A lashing? That won't stop him either. It might make you feel better, as if justice has been served, but not for long. It would almost certainly make him worse, too, just two of the myriad reasons we don't do things like this anymore.
3. Community service? It costs a fortune. You'll pay for it with your tax, you know.
4. Pay for the damage? Great. Will it change the way he thinks about it?

Strikes me that your reaction to this is emotion based, because you're angry with him for messing up the race and causing a dangerous situation. But an emotional response is not always a useful one.

One thing's for certain; people like this are a problem that won't go away, unless we hide them, locked away in prisons or long term psychiatric units. The alternatives are rather more drastic. And look where anything like that would get us! No, by far the best way is just to look after people so they don't do things like this in the first place.

 

[cchris2lou]

I am not saying he should not be treated ( if he is ill ) .

but he still should receive a punishment for his actions . Number 3 would be my personal choice .
he is a public person and the humiliation he will receive from this will probably be his bigger punsihememnt in the end .

so if you get knocked over by a car driver ( his fault ) , would you want the driver to just go back to driving school and not be punished ?

 

[barry2017]

Humiliation? What's that going to improve? Will it undo his actions? Honestly, how does that help anything apart from making you feel a bit better?
And blame aside, if you run someone over in a car by accident without premeditation that's a completely different thing to deliberately sabotaging a race.

 

[cchris2lou]

no , but he might think twice before doing it again next time .

 

[barry2017]

That's still an emotional response fuelled by anger, it's just that you're now trying to find another way to justify it.
If someone is convinced they're right, you can't "teach them a lesson".

 

[cchris2lou]

ok .

you win .

 

[Russell]

Get him mentally assessed and when he comes through with flying colours and no sign of mental illness prosecute him for criminal damage and assault.

 

[Old Ned]

I've no particular axe to grind over the bloke who did the sabotaging except to wonder why he thought it would have any effect but why do people - including all the media - insist in calling this a 'Race'?

It was a 'Sportive' which is NOT a race - even if the weekend warriors who stir things up like to pretend it is.

Why don't they enter a proper race and see how good they really are?