Are Some Judges Waking Up..?

A judge has slammed 'nonsensical and very wrong' sentencing laws after he was forced to let off a Spice-addled thug who beat up a boy with a shorter jail term.

Welcome to our world, your honour! What took you so long? 

He told Davies: 'You loaded a crack pipe with Spice, smoked it and then, whilst hallucinating, you set on a defenceless 10-year-old boy.

'You physically assaulted him in a deranged way, in a scene akin to a horror film. This is a child who has suffered serious psychological harm.

'It is obvious to anyone with any common sense that your actions towards that child would have put them in fear.

'Every type of sentence has been tried in your case from community orders to suspended sentences, but you have failed to respond to them.

'On this occasion you went out and bought spice when your release note setting out the terms and conditions was still in your pocket. You treated it with utter contempt.'

Of course he did. And why not? It is, after all, worthy of contempt, is it not? 

Davies served 19 months of his sentence including time served on remand before being freed on December 18 last year with 20 months to go of his sentence.

I bet his brief didn't have to work too hard: 

In mitigation Davies's defence counsel Anthony Morris said: 'A report on him recognises there has been a significant emotional impact on the child but there is no suggestion it is the most serious type of harm.

'Medical evidence suggests the victim was clinically well and medically fit when he was last seen.

'While the defendant has been a regular spice user this is the first occasion where he has responded with violence.'

Oh, really? What say the prosecution? 

'He has two previous convictions for battery in 2012 and 2016.

'This was a sustained assault by an adult on a child who ended up having to lock himself in the bathroom.

'This 10-year-old child must have been affected by what was an ordeal for him.'

Hmmm. Maybe the judge should be looking at all the people treating the justice system with contempt...