Repeat offenders may avoid jail in new scheme

the_syco

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/7856574?view=Eircomnet

Repeat offenders who commit new crimes can escape prosecution under a new Garda cautioning scheme if they admit their guilt and agree to pay compensation to their victim.

This aspect of the scheme is likely to be controversial and will lead to fears that the scheme may be used by wealthy or well- known figures to escape prosecution even when caught committing an offence.

The BS thing about this, is, as stated, the scumbags could just continue on doing sh|t. Seriously, wtf? They mug someone, apologize, and get away scot free! Out to mug again!

So, the goverment, knowing that prisons cost money, and knowing that the gardai does feck all in the "bad bits" of the country, decides to allow the scum have free reaign, with little to fear, once they "say sorry"...:rolleyes::mad:

Karoma

As a Blackrock rugger, who recently enough had a bit of a run-in with the Gardai over an assault, I wholeheartedly endorse this rather spiffing scheme. Bravo.

Dirk Gently

Think I might repetitively not pay my bills, take out a huge mortgage and not pay the bank back, not pay tax, not pay double taxes, not pay bus fares cos the public transport isn’t up to scratch and so on and so on.
Would this new change in the law sort me out if I kept apologising or does it just apply to scumbag related crimes.

pete

Repeat offenders who commit new crimes can escape prosecution under a new Garda cautioning scheme if they admit their guilt and agree to pay compensation to their victim.

vs.

The guidelines also note: "An offer of compensation may be a feature which might properly support the decision to caution."

However, the decision to administer the caution should not be conditional on the "completion of a specific task such as payment of compensation".

doesn't quite add up.

gurramok

Oh, just spotted this thread, might as well post what i found a few days ago.

Seems some offenders will never get prosecuted!!


Spotted this article in IOS about the aftermath of a traveller riot in Dunsink Lane in '04

Almost all criminal charges laid in connection with a violent stand-off between travellers and gardai have been quietly dropped.
IOS has learned that no further action was taken in many of the cases taken arising from the Dunsink blockade, despite a dozen arrests and the seizure of an array of weaponry at halting sites in west Dublin.
Gardai moved into the area in October 2004 after Dublin City Council erected two large concrete boulders blocking off Dunsink Lane and its entrance into Finglas. The move set off three weeks of violent protests by groups of travellers.
As a solution, the concrete boulders were moved to the other end of the road as local travellers promised further protests.
However a secret deal was struck. The travellers accepted that Dunsink Lane would remain closed to the Blanchardstown end and in return, charges taken in connection with the blockade were not pursued.
The deal means that individuals arrested with harpoons, knives, high-powered ammunition for an automatic rifle, a 9mm handgun, two bows and 30 steel-tipped arrows have effectively got away scot-free.
IOS has also learned that the council agreed to remove hundreds of abandoned cars from the site, some of which were being sold for use in joyriding. But rather than charging for the service, DCC paid the travellers a fee - believed to be as high as €70 per car-before removing them.
A council source said: 'Some kind of bulk deal was agreed. It's likely that a very large sum of money would of been paid over.'
DCC is now hoping to clear the area and rehouse the travellers elsewhere but it's expected that it will pay them as much as €600,000 in disturbance money and because they have squatters rights.
A Garda source said: 'Most of the charges were quietly dropped because there was no point going to war with the travellers. It was a case of keeping the peace.'
No further raids have taken place, even though gardai beleive the halting site is a hotbed of ciminality which one garda described as 'the most lawless square mile in Ireland.'
Weapons and getaway cars have been provided for gangland killings and armed robberies, and illegal diesel, bogus dvds and cds have all been produced at Dunsink.
One traveller based there, Martin 'Ripper' Joyce, is currently facing a tax demand of €1m served on him by the Criminal Assets Bureau'

Can we all say we are from Dunsink the next time we are stopped by the Garda for breaking the law even if we were violently breaking it?!