Ronnie biggs refused but now granted parole

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Damien

He is being held both for his original crime and then his escape from justice. Why should he walk free for that?

Well for a start he wont be walking anywhere.

---------- Post added at 22:33 ---------- Previous post was at 22:27 ----------

Originally Posted by Derek S

Someone died. End of story. It wasn't a romantic robin hood type caper. It was a vicious robbery and someone died as a result. No different to someone walking into a bank with a sawn-off and a customer gets shot.

Is there any evidence that the driver died as a result of the gangs actions, my kids great grand mother was 80 odd and in fine health for her age, some smack head robbed her house when she was out and 2 weeks later she died of a massive heart attack, that ******* wasn't charged with contributing to her death.

Remember he was convicted and sentenced to 30 years inside. He done 15 months then legged it and only returned when his money ran out. He's now done about 1/3rd of his sentence.

Lets also remember why their sentences were so long as well, state vengence isn't justice.

Personally I think he should have been given parole because he quite clearly isn't a danger to anyone any longer but can understand why he has been refused parole

I can't, we have dangerous crims being released everyday, at least we could have one locked up a bit longer in Bigg's cell if we let him out

---------- Post added at 22:36 ---------- Previous post was at 22:33 ----------

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

All Roonie did was rob a train

He didn't, let's not big him up, he was a useless crook, he blew the job the gang had given him, they didn't even bother talking to him after that and he drove one of the trucks on the night IIRC

Havn't read all the posts as this is simple really. This is a man who commited a crime escaped from prison stuck two fingers upto this country till he ran out of money to pay for his health care and then came back. He should serve his full sentence or die while serving end of story and just because he is now a frail old man does not and should not mean he gets any special consideration because his was a life led without any consideration for anyone but himself reap what you sow.

[AndyCambs]

Since he enjoyed his time so much in Brazil, maybe they could release him and deport him back there?

[Angua]

If keeping him in prison means people who are fit enough and likely to commit crimes are let out early then he should be let out.

As prison does not effectively reform most of the inmates surely it is better to keep those who are an ongoing threat inside even if this means people such as Ronnie Biggs are let out early. After all the sentence he is now serving is not to reform him but a genuine life sentence, with his only exit from the prison being in a Hearse.

[punky]

Originally Posted by Angua

If keeping him in prison means people who are fit enough and likely to commit crimes are let out early then he should be let out.

As prison does not effectively reform most of the inmates surely it is better to keep those who are an ongoing threat inside even if this means people such as Ronnie Biggs are let out early. After all the sentence he is now serving is not to reform him but a genuine life sentence, with his only exit from the prison being in a Hearse.

That's where one of the problems with this country lies. Our prisions are full. Instead of building more so everyone that should go to prison, can - we have groups that say we should stop sending them. A person already in prison shouldn't keep another one out IMO.

Yep spot on if we don't have enough prison spaces build more prisons and then thats the problem sorted.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

Yep spot on if we don't have enough prison spaces build more prisons and then thats the problem sorted.

Except it isn't as simple as that. It takes years to build a prison and then you have to staff it, there is already a shortage of prison officers as it is. A far better solution imo would be to scrap most of the raft of new laws this government has brought in and stop jailing people for stupid offences, then we might have some space for the dangerous and career crims to be locked up for longer.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

Except it isn't as simple as that. It takes years to build a prison and then you have to staff it, there is already a shortage of prison officers as it is. A far better solution imo would be to scrap most of the raft of new laws this government has brought in and stop jailing people for stupid offences, then we might have some space for the dangerous and career crims to be locked up for longer.

One has to wonder. The UK already has the highest prison population (as a percentage of the general population) in the European Union.

We have known for years that we didn't have enough prison places and this government has done nothing about it. This idea that you can set a certain number of prison places and thats it is stupid when you don't control by and large who comes here and what they do is also stupid in the extreme. Just one more thing that this government has failed on but why make any real effort on anything when you can set a target and then manipulate the figures to make that looks like it is working.

[alferret]

Originally Posted by jamiefrost

Guess that's alright then, every should be freed after serving 1/3 of their sentence.

JJ

Someone cant be accused of murder or be blamed if A, there is no direct evidence B, he didnt die from injuries from sustained during the robbery.

---------- Post added at 21:48 ---------- Previous post was at 21:26 ----------

Originally Posted by Damien

He never went back to work, he never completely recovered from his injuries but it's ok because Mr Biggs was jollying it up in South America. When he comes up everyone thinks he should be let go because he is old?

After a bit more research it seems that Jack Mills returned to work the very next day, yes he had a bandage on his head there was no blood but he was made aware by the powers that be that it would be in his best interest to take early retirement and that he would be looked after financially. After all he had spent his life as a manual worker and he was made an offer he couldnt refuse as well as to be made a public figure, this is where all the hate and rage against the train robbers has come from.

So does it matter? No not in my opinion. Ronnie Biggs was a member of the gang that robbed a train of 2.3 million pounds what sets him apart from the other 14 members is that he go away and stayed away and came back under his own steam for reasons only know to him and his family, for people to pour out their hatred when they have no real facts and are just using hearsay to condemn this man for something he didn't do.

It is nonsense to assume that he died from injuries sustained, no proff of this has ever been put forward, no one has been tried and again I will state, Jack Mills did not die of injuries sustained at the train robbery, he retired, lived well on his pension until he died.

Also I dont condone the actions of any member of the gang that robbed the train, I'm just putting forward facts.

[Arthurgray50@blu]

Just to be so vindictive, Jack Straw, also refused bail for a guy in prison accused of murder at a football match EVEN though, someone else has CONFESED to the murder.

[Derek]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

Just to be so vindictive, Jack Straw, also refused bail for a guy in prison accused of murder at a football match EVEN though, someone else has CONFESED to the murder.

Someone who has since retracted the confession...

---------- Post added at 22:08 ---------- Previous post was at 22:07 ----------

Oh and it isn't bail. He was looking for a full pardon, the murder didn't happen at a football match but in the build up to it. Aside from that you are spot on.

Originally Posted by alferret

After a bit more research it seems that Jack Mills returned to work the very next day, yes he had a bandage on his head there was no blood but he was made aware by the powers that be that it would be in his best interest to take early retirement and that he would be looked after financially. After all he had spent his life as a manual worker and he was made an offer he couldnt refuse as well as to be made a public figure, this is where all the hate and rage against the train robbers has come from.

So does it matter? No not in my opinion. Ronnie Biggs was a member of the gang that robbed a train of 2.3 million pounds what sets him apart from the other 14 members is that he go away and stayed away and came back under his own steam for reasons only know to him and his family, for people to pour out their hatred when they have no real facts and are just using hearsay to condemn this man for something he didn't do.

It is nonsense to assume that he died from injuries sustained, no proff of this has ever been put forward, no one has been tried and again I will state, Jack Mills did not die of injuries sustained at the train robbery, he retired, lived well on his pension until he died.

Also I dont condone the actions of any member of the gang that robbed the train, I'm just putting forward facts.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1310271.stm

Originally Posted by BBC

Jack Mills never returned to work and died in 1970 without ever making a full recovery.

Which source states he returned to work and retired for the pension?

Anyway, Ronnie Biggs only has this fan club because the heist become cult status and in a way so did he. I can’t help but feel that this sentiment is unique to this guy.

If he had not escaped his jail term then I could understand his request for parole, in fact if he served his term he would have been out a long time ago anyway.

He didn't though. He took his stolen cash and tried to escape Justice, attempts to extradite him failed and he returned for medical treatment after spending the entire lot.

Considering that, it is not surprising he is not allowed out after only serving 1/3rd of his sentence. He spent most of his life using ill-gotten cash to live a rich lifestyle. Now he is back having spent his better years avoiding his Jail term people want him exempt from the rest of it?

[alferret]

Originally Posted by Damien

Which source states he returned to work and retired for the pension?

Not as such the horses mouth, but someone who was close to what happened.

Jack Mills returned to work the following day, was made an offer of retirement which he took, he was told not to say anything about the circumstances surrounding what happened, he gave one brief interview and that was that as far as he was concerned. The press were given a story and that same story is still told today 45 years later.

[BBKing]

he had spent his life as a manual worker

Eh? Driving express trains on a main line is not the job of a manual worker, it's a highly skilled job that requires alert, fit men. Always has.

Biggs? Jail. Let him out in five years if he's still alive. Straw is still a disgrace, though - remember Pinochet? Letting proper fascists out and jailing grotty little working class crims - New Labour cowardly authoritarianism all over, that is.