Please sign SAS man jailed
- Thread starter mickyfinn
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Huntingstella
Well-Known Member
+1
palmer_mike
Well-Known Member
Isn't it? Not on a wind up - just thought that thats what it meant.
pheasant sniper 1
Well-Known Member
If your going to quote me atleast do a proper job...
Saying " he wont be the first or last" is not saying its ok .. Infact if youd bother to read my other posts youd see that i felt in his position it was the wrong thing but the sentence imo was and is disgracefull.
I think this thread has more than shown that the law abiding fac holders on here are clearly in the majority by a clear mile in support of the man.
Enough said really...
Just to get this straight: it's ok for a war hero to have a concealed and unlicensed gun and ammo?
Is it therefore ok for a war hero to beat his wife, deal heroin and drink drive? Would it be ok for rapist to claim that he was doing it as a consequence of post traumatic stress?
Obviously I'm not implying that he did any of these. But this illustrates the point that we live in a society with laws, and a very large part of the reason why Sgt. Nightingale was fighting in the first place is because we believe that the rule of law is a fundamental part of stable, civilised society, and that no body should be above the law.
Is it therefore ok for a war hero to beat his wife, deal heroin and drink drive? Would it be ok for rapist to claim that he was doing it as a consequence of post traumatic stress?
Obviously I'm not implying that he did any of these. But this illustrates the point that we live in a society with laws, and a very large part of the reason why Sgt. Nightingale was fighting in the first place is because we believe that the rule of law is a fundamental part of stable, civilised society, and that no body should be above the law.
High time that the law was administered/dispensed with some thought, rather than just "Blindly"?
jon2
Well-Known Member
That's correct PS1 but it doesn't mean that the majority are right. My take on this is that the law is the law and that is the bottom line. I have sympathy to a degree but I am just struggling with the fact that it appears (if we go off a newspaper article) that he has broken the law.
Tamus
Well-Known Member
A man of contradictions and fallacious belief you clearly are.
Sgt Nightingale broke the law, a disturbing sort of law, agreed, but the law no less. Yet you feel this convicted criminal should not be punished for breaking the law...??? Why? ... Because he is a man-at-arms who has excelled in his profession of death... all the more reason to keep the guns from him in civvy street is what the majority really think.
Personally what I find most disturbing is that his story and actions do not add up. He was keeping a trophy of war to have it de-activated and placed on the mess wall... sounds fair enough... why then did he need ammo for it if that was true? What sort of a noble man was he who would conceal or attempt to conceal his diminished mental capacity from his beloved fellow soldiers? ... Was he really such a good guy, I think... No! he showed himself willing to cheat, regardless of possible consequence and his disjointed story will not do.
And... Yes, many on here have shown solidarity with the plea for even more clemency but that amounts to a few "dozen" folk. The site has a few "thousand" members, most of whom have said nothing. Maybe I am one of the few willng to point these things out, but that does not mean my view is in the minority.
We do agree on one thing... the sentence seems disgraceful. At no point when he could have done something to redeem himself did Sgt Nightingale do anything to redeem himself and his story is flimsy at best. So, I don't understand why he "got off" so lightly.
NorthDorset
Well-Known Member
Guys I dont suspect we know entirely what the Court Marshall knew.
The article I read said that the raid on the house that started all this was directed at Sgt Nightingales flatmate who was thought to be in possession of illegally held ammo.
You can but hope that the appeal considers the sentence in light of all the factors and comes up with the fair decision. Its not unknown for a sentance to be put up. However the light of public attention should make this decision making process clearer.
I said in my earlier post on this that many factors do not stack up. We should always be aware that the author of the story has their own agenda and this one seems to be based on the Mrs Martingales account of events, which is clearly going to be partisan.
Lets not fight over this less Fleet Streets Hacks make us all look stupid in the morning..
The article I read said that the raid on the house that started all this was directed at Sgt Nightingales flatmate who was thought to be in possession of illegally held ammo.
You can but hope that the appeal considers the sentence in light of all the factors and comes up with the fair decision. Its not unknown for a sentance to be put up. However the light of public attention should make this decision making process clearer.
I said in my earlier post on this that many factors do not stack up. We should always be aware that the author of the story has their own agenda and this one seems to be based on the Mrs Martingales account of events, which is clearly going to be partisan.
Lets not fight over this less Fleet Streets Hacks make us all look stupid in the morning..
Virbius
Well-Known Member
Doesn't this fundamentally comes down to whether, or how much, good deeds in the past justify or mitigate subsequently breaking the law? So, by the same token should the alleged crimes against a certain high profile entertainer in the 70s and 80s be excused because of raising tens of millions of pounds for children’s charities? Is there any fundamental difference? How many who have signed the petition for Sgt Nightingale would be quite so keen to support a campaign to drop those allegations?
And before anyone mentions the brain injury or his colleagues that perished as an excuse, he had plenty of opportunity to put his affairs in order in the time he returned to the UK and fell ill in Brazil. With the additional information regarding the ammunition that has surfaced, I am wrestling with my concience regarding signing the petition. That is my opinion, and everyone else is entitled to theirs.
And before anyone mentions the brain injury or his colleagues that perished as an excuse, he had plenty of opportunity to put his affairs in order in the time he returned to the UK and fell ill in Brazil. With the additional information regarding the ammunition that has surfaced, I am wrestling with my concience regarding signing the petition. That is my opinion, and everyone else is entitled to theirs.
NorthDorset
Well-Known Member
Veribus
Its an appeal. They will review all the evidence and the sentence and may sure it all balances. Thats all.
I wrestled with my concience on this too. Too many opportunities to declare this gun were missed. Calling for clemancy in an appeal hurts nobody.
A gun is inanimate. Its not an abused teen. It takes the intention behind it to cause harm. However the law is the law.
You make a good arguement Sir.
Its an appeal. They will review all the evidence and the sentence and may sure it all balances. Thats all.
I wrestled with my concience on this too. Too many opportunities to declare this gun were missed. Calling for clemancy in an appeal hurts nobody.
A gun is inanimate. Its not an abused teen. It takes the intention behind it to cause harm. However the law is the law.
You make a good arguement Sir.
al4x1
Well-Known Member
Its inanimate till his kids found it and started playing soldiers with it or the house got burgled and it got stolen we are onto the main reasons why the military try and stop these guns coming back from the desert. The excuses are all there but its not exactly an isolated incident
NorthDorset
Well-Known Member
The law is the law!
My Dad told me about an MG42 machine gun that was auctioned off in a Dover pub just after the war finished. These trophies are still turning up today. Only at the weekend a buddy was telling me about a Broomhandled Mauser that turned up in a secret draw of a desk in an estate sale.
The army have procedures to stop this happening. Where they were here is an important point. Gun clearly wasn't manifested for transport. Why?
Virbius
Well-Known Member
Your argument is good too, ND.
I imagine that everyone who has commented on this thread will welcome an appeal, whatever their individual opinion is. Once due procees has been followed considering all evidence and mitigating circumstances, a just decision will be delivered which everyone will just have to accept.
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