Quote: Zoo Zoo Boom "There have always been huge imbalances in sentencing - James Boulger's killers got 8 years never even getting to adult prison. Jon Venables has proved to be a psychopath in adult life. Lee Bowyer got nothing yet Chev Walker got time for virtually the same crime. When you have a system that relies on a judge for a sentence you will have inconsistencies. The problem with rape its one person's word against another who do you believe - both parties should either be named or not it is not fair that the man is named and woman not? This is not a new situation it goes back for ever.
Domestic violence is a different ball game and those men/women should be locked up for a long time as should those who perpetrate honour (sic) killings.
As for Johnson the press call him out all the time but its not a shock - sadly nobody believes any politician because you know when they are lying - their lips are moving the whole lot of them. MP's simply don't have any public respect at all.
Saturday could have been avoided nobody turns up - what are the police supposed to do? You can't fine a load of kids for an illegal rave yet allow thousands to congregate in a park and ignore it. Anyone who thinks there weren't deliberate agitators out to cause trouble is delusional - the ginger-haired lady in all the photos - I rest my case.'"
Yes there are imbalances in sentencing, no doubt whatsoever.
As you say, the judge has plenty of discretion and as such, some sentences seem to be wrong.
The point that Jess Phillips made was bang on the money and for people to to be given longer sentences for damaging public property , compared to rape or worse, seems crazy and it's interesting how influence can come from "above" in certain circumstances, also, the "quality" of the defence, which comes down to pound notes, will always be a major factor, which skews the justice system in favour of the better off.
As for the vigil on Saturday, it was nailed on to end badly and of course it did.