Monday, November 13, 2006

Prison "only for those who pose a danger to the public"

Like 66 year old Willam Hughes.

Police found 111 weapons while the army had to dispose of a deactivated grenade at his home in Gwersyllt, Wrexham.

His barrister told Caernarfon Crown Court "the world was a very different place" when Hughes' interest began.

Hughes also had 24 shotguns and 37 rifles at his house.

He also admitted a charge of possessing ammunition.

Simon Medland, defending Hughes, said his client never had any intention of using the guns and the law had changed since he started collecting, particularly after the Dunblane school shootings in 1996.

He added: "This is the first time he's been before the courts.

"When Mr Hughes began his interest in firearms the world was a very different place in its approach to guns."

Some of the guns dated back to the 18th and 19th Centuries and a large number of weapons at the property were held legally, the court heard.

But Judge John Rogers said Hughes had been aware of the change in the law on guns and sentenced him to five years in jail.

He told him: "You, I'm sure, now appreciate the gravity of storing at your home so many prohibited firearms and ammunition."


So, a gun nut. A pensioner, no previous convictions, no suggestion any guns fell into the wrong hands or were used illegally. Five years.

That's what you get for throwing a sleepy six-year-old off a 14th floor balcony.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fuck me, non ovine sex in Wales...but then he obviously wasn't chapel.

Anonymous said...

What would the sentence be for killing a judge?

Anonymous said...

How exactly did the offences come to light?

Anonymous said...

The establishment appears to be in a schizophrenic state of denial.

AntiCitizenOne said...

Prison is only for those who pose a threat to members of the establishment.

Anonymous said...

^ The establishment, ey?

I thought it was just New Labour and idiotic judges.

Anonymous said...

anticitizenone - That is true. But we can take comfort in the fact that Yates of the Yard is on the job and that Blair is said to be in a blind panic. He may yet see the inside of a prison cell himself.

Personally, I can't wait.

Anonymous said...

PS - Juliam asks a good question.

Guessedworker said...

Tony Martin had his sentence reduced from life to five years when his sentence was changed from the murder of Fred Barrass to his manslaughter.

This old boy's case is even more grotesque in its judicial wrecklessness than that of Kevin Hughes.

"Appreciate the gravity of the offence", indeed. Where on earth does the Bar Council find these cretins?

Anonymous said...

So why did the army have to "deal with a deactivated grenade"? HM Plod obviosly don't feel adequate to deal with what is essentially a glorified (and legally owned)PAPERWEIGHT themselves, and just love to make a drama out of a non-crisis. The bomb disposal boys should have told them to p*ss off and grow up instead of wasting their time. Bad enough making fools of themselves without dragging the army into it.

The poor old guy's little more than a political prisoner, he really MUST lauch an appeal right away.


"Where on earth does the Bar Council find these cretins?" Well, usually from a list of Tony Blair's former flatmates.......

Anonymous said...

"...why did the army have to "deal with a deactivated grenade"?"

'Health & Safety' I expect.

The same 'Health & Safety' that makes the armed response units wait safely outside seiges until the gunman has shot his hostages (and himself) and its now 'safe' to go in....

Anonymous said...

These offences carry a five year minimum sentence brought in the the present goverment so he received the least sentence he could have.
Blame the government, not the judge.

Yorkshireminer said...

I Blame the Judges that is what the word Judge means to Judge, he could have used his DISCRESION. This is going to cost the British Taxpayer 2,000 pounds a week half a million in total, and I wouldn't hold my breath thinking he might paroled after two thirds of his sentence this man is definately a threat to society, and anyway he is only an Aboriginal and who cares what the want and by the way he is the wrong colour and religion.