Martin Myers tried and failed to steal a cigarette. Why has he spent 18 years in prison for it?

HAYSIE

‘Indefensible’: UK prisoner jailed for 23 months killed himself after being held for 17 years


https://uk.yahoo.com/news/indefensible-uk-prisoner-jailed-23-060006190.html

HAYSIE

HAYSIE

Woman raped by father wins payout as police finally admit mistakes in four-decade battle for justice



A woman who was raped by her father has hit out at a catalogue of misogynistic police failings during her four-decade-long fight for justice.

Carol Higgins, from West Yorkshire, was repeatedly raped and abused by Elliot Appleyard as a teenager – with her now 77-year-old father convicted of five counts of rape and 10 counts of indecent assault back in 2019.

West Yorkshire Police has now done a major U-turn and finally apologised to Ms Higgins for the long wait for her father’s conviction.

Speaking to The Independent in an exclusive interview, Ms Higgins said when she first reported her father to the police for raping her in 1984 an officer told her if the case went to court, “you will be made out to be the biggest liar and sl ag going”.

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/woman-raped-father-wins-payout-093138423.html

HAYSIE

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HAYSIE

Martin Myers tried and failed to steal a cigarette. Why has he spent 18 years in prison for it?



https://uk.yahoo.com/news/martin-myers-tried-failed-steal-040047939.html

TheEdge949

The press once again only reporting half a story. IPPs were designed to protect the public from people deemed to be a danger.

Really the system can't win. No IPP and when something bad goes down the public are all "Why was this man allowed to walk the streets". Use the IPP and the public are all "Inhumane and barbaric".

In both these cases the prisoners concerned must either by action, word or behaviour given the authorities concern about the safety of the public if they were freed.

But hey, never let the truth get in the way of a good story, or sales.

Essexphil

TheEdge949 said:

The press once again only reporting half a story. IPPs were designed to protect the public from people deemed to be a danger.

Really the system can't win. No IPP and when something bad goes down the public are all "Why was this man allowed to walk the streets". Use the IPP and the public are all "Inhumane and barbaric".

In both these cases the prisoners concerned must either by action, word or behaviour given the authorities concern about the safety of the public if they were freed.

But hey, never let the truth get in the way of a good story, or sales.

Disagree, at least in part.

Nothing against IPPs-just that the Criminal (as opposed to Civil) component is too harsh. It is something that has interested me for 40 years. And the Law has had lots of different names for what is essentially the same thing.

The theoretical maximum penalty for Theft is 7 years. Which is next to never given-the majority of convictions for Theft do not result in Prison.

He originally got 23 months. He committed no further Criminal Offences (AFAIK) while inside. Yet was imprisoned for far longer than the maximum sentence-that cannot be right.

I completely agree that there are times when it is unsafe to let someone out. But that is what Psychiatric Hospitals should be for. Both to help the individual, and to protect the public. He was no longer a Criminal-just someone who needed mental help. I have no idea whether he would have been released from Hospital

But he should not have been left to rot in prison.

Indeterminate sentences should not be allowed to involve a Prison sentence above the Maximum for that Offence. When he might be insane-but should not be labelled as criminally insane.

HAYSIE

TheEdge949 said:

The press once again only reporting half a story. IPPs were designed to protect the public from people deemed to be a danger.

Really the system can't win. No IPP and when something bad goes down the public are all "Why was this man allowed to walk the streets". Use the IPP and the public are all "Inhumane and barbaric".

In both these cases the prisoners concerned must either by action, word or behaviour given the authorities concern about the safety of the public if they were freed.

But hey, never let the truth get in the way of a good story, or sales.

IPPs were introduced in 2005.
They were abolished in 2012.
I can only assume that they were abolished because they had proved to be a bad idea.
If they had proved successful they would surely have continued.
The obvious reason for abolishing them would clearly be that there are particularly cruel, and unfair.