Metropol

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/cr ... 65496.html

I know saying this will probably make me come across as being a bit Daily Mail, but I've just got to ask WHY anyone would do something like that? I mean, are these wastes of clothes so oblivious to how annoying they are that they feel the need to take it upon themselves to inflict justice on the person who ticked them off? Who on Earth brings these people up? Surely, no upbringing is piss poor enough to instill a perpetual sense of rage and a need to hurt someone? Even if I was stupid enough to not notice that I'm pissing people off, the worst I would do when ticked off for it would be to mutter something under my breath. These people are so ready for a fight, such shining examples of the walking time bomb, that I completely fail to see anything from their point of view, or even BEGIN to justify what they did. What is it about these people that makes them so eager to look for reasons to hurt them?

Discuss.

Kinda convenient that I made this thread, because I was actually mugged at about twenty past eleven last night, less than a few yards away from where I live.

Funny thing is, all he made off with was a card for which I gave him the wrong PIN, a memory stick with nothing on it except my comedy store routine and a worthless sleeve for a DVD case.

Other funny thing is, he was so light, weak and unferocious, that had I not been so terrified, I probably could have mounted some sort of offence- I certainly had several opportunities. All I've been left with is a slightly stiff neck and a bad night's sleep, but I reckon it'll stay on my mind for quite a while.

Has anyone else had a similar experience? Any sort of advice I can get would be appreciated.

ta

Shame, you should have landed him one. Teach the little scrote a lesson.

Beep wrote:Shame, you should have landed him one. Teach the little scrote a lesson.

Always wise to risk the perpetrator having a knife or gun...

Ronnie Rowlands wrote:Has anyone else had a similar experience? Any sort of advice I can get would be appreciated.

Sorry to hear about your experience.

It happened to me many years ago. Mugged at gunpoint less than 5 minutes walk from where I lived then.

You do get over it in time. It takes time for the memories to fade. And it really does help to talk about it.

You're (I'm guessing) in the age-range that it's most likely to happen to, I'm afraid. Hope you don't get a repeat (I did, about six months later, at 8.30 in the morning... fortunately, those guys got caught and found guilty in court).

Try not to alter your behaviour too much, especially jumping at shadows. If you can adapt your gait to look more confident and keep your head up, you're less likely to look like a potential vicitim.

Plus the usual stuff about keeping valuable stuff out of sight.

Well I was visited by some plainclothes officers before who have gone off to check some CCTV footage.

What sentence do these criminals usually get, and is there much chance of them finding me after they finish their punishment?

Ronnie Rowlands wrote:What sentence do these criminals usually get, and is there much chance of them finding me after they finish their punishment?

Don't know, to be honest - they never told me the sentencing of the pair in the second case.

You'd have to be a witness in court if they are found, but no personal details about home address etc will be given out in court. Main thing is to express any concerns to the police as the process goes on.

Ronnie Rowlands wrote:Kinda convenient that I made this thread, because I was actually mugged at about twenty past eleven last night, less than a few yards away from where I live.

Funny thing is, all he made off with was a card for which I gave him the wrong PIN, a memory stick with nothing on it except my comedy store routine and a worthless sleeve for a DVD case.

Other funny thing is, he was so light, weak and unferocious, that had I not been so terrified, I probably could have mounted some sort of offence- I certainly had several opportunities. All I've been left with is a slightly stiff neck and a bad night's sleep, but I reckon it'll stay on my mind for quite a while.

Has anyone else had a similar experience? Any sort of advice I can get would be appreciated.

ta

If you go out on your own regularly at that time of night, you might feel a bit safer carrying a farb gel spray or something. It stains the skin and clothes for a week and doesn't wash off, making it easier for the police to find them. You could also carry an expired card on you, to give to a mugger instead of your real one. You should also switch your phone off and make sure it has a PIN and/or phone lock code on it. If there's an emergency and you need to dial 999, you can do so by typing 999 on the PIN screen and pressing Call. Still report your phone missing to your operator though if it does get stolen, just in case.

Self-defence training may help your confidence too but as Neil says, you'd have be very confident to actually put it into practice these days, lest they be armed with some kind of weapon.

I know saying this will probably make me come across as being a bit Daily Mail, but I've just got to ask WHY anyone would do something like that? I mean, are these wastes of clothes so oblivious to how annoying they are that they feel the need to take it upon themselves to inflict justice on the person who ticked them off? Who on Earth brings these people up? Surely, no upbringing is piss poor enough to instill a perpetual sense of rage and a need to hurt someone? Even if I was stupid enough to not notice that I'm pissing people off, the worst I would do when ticked off for it would be to mutter something under my breath. These people are so ready for a fight, such shining examples of the walking time bomb, that I completely fail to see anything from their point of view, or even BEGIN to justify what they did. What is it about these people that makes them so eager to look for reasons to hurt them?

Unfortunately, until the law takes more interest in catching criminals rather than harrasing motorists, and criminals (and youngsters who commit crimes ARE STILL FUCKING SUBHUMAN CRIMINAL SCUM before anyone bleats about 'wayward kids' whose age should be taken into account) are severely punished for their actions rather than trying to understand why they have acted in the way they have, this country isn't going to get any better. In fact, it's only going to get worse.

It's almost a certainity that these chavs, even if caught, will get their brief to present a long list of mitigating circumstances about how they come from a broken home where daddy was a violent alcoholic and elder brother is a class A drug user etc etc and ultimately are unlikely to face anything more serious than a 'community rehabilitation order' for their crime, which should answer any questions as to why they carry on in such a way - they do it because they aren't remotely worried about anything the law can do to them. Until that changes, things like this will just keep on happening.

Shame, you should have landed him one. Teach the little scrote a lesson.

And then get done for assault and have a magistrate make you apologise to him and pay him damages.

There's no hard and fast rules about these situations, but there's an awful lot of trite being spouted here.

"Lamp him one", "carry indelible ink" - easy to say, but a lot more difficult to apply.

Being attacked is usually sudden and scary, and in my view there's no point in risking injury over the sake of a wallet full of plastic that can be cancelled in a trice. And if you can afford to wander around with hundreds of pounds in cash then maybe you'll cope with losing it. Is it worth a permanent injury?

I was attacked about 8 years ago. I had a bottle smashed over my head and was roundly pummelled by a crew of lads. It was witnessed by the local chip shop staff and the assailants were caught.

It went to court, and it was up to me to explain that, although I had been drinking, I wasn't out of it and I didn't instigate the attack.

I've no idea what the sentence was - but I know the individuals were found guilty. Unfortunately prosecution services aren't there to avenge the victim, merely to dole out punishment for people breaking the law - so no one called me to say what the outcome was.

I opted to leave the courtroom immediately after giving evidence, and I gave my address care of the local police station, meaning the defence lawyer couldn't get in touch directly (nor pass on my address to the assailant). I did get a letter hand delivered from the police from the accused's lawyer inviting me to call and discuss the events, but I opted not to, and wasn't compelled to.

It was a nasty experience, not least because I was due to go to London to appear on the Weakest Link, and I ended up doing the show with a bloodshot eye. That annoyed me, but that's life.

I'm sorry to hear about your trouble Ronnie, but the residual feeling you undoubtedly have should pass in short-order.

Tooling yourself up with a weapon or mace or somesuch isn't the way to get over this type of event. Just be vigilant and wary when you're out late at night.

And feel better soon

Gavin Scott wrote:Tooling yourself up with a weapon or mace or somesuch isn't the way to get over this type of event.

Nobody mentioned weapons, Gavin :roll: And Mace is illegal here.