Summer riots arsonist jailed for 11½ years

Robbo

Robbo

Robbo

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BBC said:
A looter has been jailed for 11-and-a-half years for starting a fire which destroyed a family-run furniture shop in south London in the summer riots.

Gordon Thompson, 34, stole a laptop from the House of Reeves in Croydon on 8 August before setting fire to a sofa.

The Old Bailey trial in February heard that he told another man "it was me" as he walked away from the blaze.

Thompson, of Waddon Road, Croydon, changed his plea to guilty at the end of the prosecution case.

He had previously looted two other stores, Iceland and House of Fraser, before turning on the Reeves furniture store, the court heard.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17674395

You may argue that this is a harsh punishment for arson but I think he fully deserves it and a real example has been made of him.
 
Good punishment, now if they can start applying stricter sentences to everyone else and not just 'rioters' then all will be fine.

inb4 long sentences don't decrease crime.
 
Harsh? Hardly, he completely destroyed a business and endangered lives.

Remember, this is what he did.

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One less scum off the streets of London.

Though I'm sure we'll all enjoy paying the £40k or so per year it'll cost to keep his worthless carcass incarcerated.

Of course there's the inevitable conversion to Islam to follow - along with the better food and more cushy treatment that goes along with it in UK prisons.

He'll be out in 5 no doubt and ready to continue his destructive existence.

I expect we're paying for at least a couple of his kids too.


.
 
I'd agree that it's a tad harsh and don't agree with 'making examples of people' by giving them a harder sentence. Afaik, evidence shows this doesn't deter others.
 
Gilly said:
Did he kill anyone?



Not sure if SRS.



Wasn't the sentence for arson?
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Murderers, do, people who have killed, don't always. For instance someone driving a car who is proven to have purposefully killed someone, say driving along just decided to mow down that old woman, gets done for murder and would get a long jail term. Someone who hit the old woman, but it was from negligent driving or even drink driving, something along those lines, would get a far less severe sentence. We judge, quite rightly, on intent in the justice system.

This guy gets a severe sentence because he burned down the store on purpose, put peoples lives in danger, and risked the lives of many other people in many other surrounding houses, and risked the lives of firemen who helped put it out. It wasn't an accident, he wasn't setting off fireworks for a laugh and one accidentally set the store on fire, he went in, and burned the place to the ground, intentionally. Should have gotten a massive sentence and did.
 
For once, I fully agree with this sentence passed by the courts. However, if someone commits arson to the same scale outside the context of a riot, why should they receive a shorter sentence?
 
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