Ronnie Biggs poll - let him out?

[bakbjerg]

One of the subjects of our debate...
A victimless crime?
Train driver Jack Mills, 57, was coshed with iron bars during the robbery. He never returned to work and never made a full recovery. He died in 1970.[/color]

You forgot to add not from his injuries. I would have expected someone who was coshed by iron bars as you said to have had a fractured skull

So no fractured skull, everything is allright then
A lot of workers in shops, banks, etc. are left severely traumatised after being manhandled by robbers. I think these wounds on the sole is often the worst for the victims

[blueboyno1]

There is a big difference between being manhandled and being coshed by iron bars.

[ionnsaigh]

It should be remembered that this country released General Pinochet - on medical compassionate grounds - before a trial ever took place. Nobody is questioning Biggs, and his outrageous notoriety, and blatant disregard for the Justice System. No one to my knowledge - denies he was a wrong one. However the Biggs we all know and love to hate - is far removed from the Biggs we have today. Why are some posters so ridiculously obstinate - when an opportunity arises to show compassion.
The true nature of compassion dictates - that given the circumstances - we apply it to both victim and culprit.

[bakbjerg]

It should be remembered that this country released General Pinochet - on medical compassionate grounds - before a trial ever took place. ...

ionnsaigh, does that mean, that you agree on Pinochets release as well
(Good thing that the Spanish Courts didn't give up that easy)

[History]

You forgot to add not from his injuries. I would have expected someone who was coshed by iron bars as you said to have had a fractured skull

I never mentioned iron bars in any of my other posts on this subject either and I didn't in this one.
It was the words below the caption. I just copied and pasted it. I thought it interesting to see the subject in person......

I voted in the poll that he should be left in jail because the way I see it is that he was given 30 years and only spent 18 months before escaping. He was then pursued round the world for many years so that he could be brought back to serve his sentence. He finally came back and served another 7 or 8?. (would need to look it up)

He will get all the medical care he needs in the prison until he dies.

I am not being vindictive. He 's a thief and a convicted criminal. He has to finish his sentence. It's the law.

[ionnsaigh]

ionnsaigh, does that mean, that you agree on Pinochets release as well
(Good thing that the Spanish Courts didn't give up that easy)

No as he clearly escaped justice - I remember a wheelchair bound old crippled man leaving England - and a smiling walking dictator arriving in Chile. If he was imprisoned and had cancer with a year to live - then yes - I would grant compassion.

[ionnsaigh]

The Poll
I thought it may prove interesting that if - after the expiry date - we introduce another poll to measure response. Has
reader been swayed one way or the other - type thing. Perhaps we could have a section of a weekly topic, followed by two polls - one before, and one after.

[Pete Reek]

You could string a phone cable between them and call yourself Talk Talk.

[ionnsaigh]

You could string a phone cable between them and call yourself Talk Talk.

Orange Perhaps.

[EMDEE]

The future's Orange!

[blueboyno1]

The future's Orange!

F.G.S dont start ionns off about that again.

[EMDEE]

The future's Orange!

F.G.S dont start ionns off about that again.

[EMDEE]

Is Al-Megrahi going to be next?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8198603.stm

[hugh]

I can't help drawing parallels between the Biggs case, and dying Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi

I don't want to say too much about this, because it's all speculation, suspicion and surmising on my part, but I think there may be a very close connection betwen the two cases. Jack Straw has absolutely no sympathy or compassion for Biggs whatsoever, he's already on record as saying that. The other case remains a matter of international controversy, and the British government's hand may well be being forced on that matter. All speculation on my part, of course. Now, if Jack Straw releases a man convicted of terrorism the government may lose face with the electorate, so the Biggs release may well be just a ploy for them to plead "even-handedness" if and when that happens.

Maybe I'm putting 2 and 2 together and getting 17, but I'd say watch this space.

Now it looks as if it might actually happen? This is my take on it, sheer speculation as I've said;

New evidence comes to light, from whatever source, that Al-Mehagri's a dupe; an innocent patsy. The appeal may well be embarrassing for British "intelligence". And the man is dying. So how to save face? Free him and call it compassion. And if that really happens then it stinks for all sorts of reasons. First, if he really is guilty then, as I think Daft Dog said, there's no way a man responsible for 270 premeditated murders should be shown any form of compassion. Second, if he's innocent then why did western intelligence present such compelling "evidence" of his guilt to a British court? Did they fabricate the evidence for the sake of political expediency? Do they care more for their own image than they do about obtaining justice for the relatives of the victims? Stick a scapegoat in jail, that'll keep 'em happy? And now it's unravelling they look for the easy way out.
If this is true then it's stomach turning hypocricy, if it's just my cynical mind rambling then I apologise for wasting everybody's time. But think on this; just a few short weeks ago Jack Straw maintained that Ronnie Biggs should die in jail. Then rumours of new evidence in the Lockerbie bombing rears its head and suddenly Ronnie's released. And I don't think it was a change of heart. I think Biggs is just being used as a pawn in a bigger and far more sickening game.

If you're still awake, thanks for listening.

[hugh]

Now it moves on apace, and I'm no longer suspicious; I'm convinced. Kenny MacAskill visits Al-Megrahi in jail, ostensibly to sound out his physical and mental state. Then it's announced this morning that Al-Megrahi's to drop his appeal. The man has been doggedly pursuing this appeal for years and now it's suddenly and mysteriously dropped at this crucial moment!

This is political hypocricy at its worst. A deal has been done that lets everybody wash their dirty hands and walk away, leaving an unholy mess behind them. And Al-megrahi being scapegoated is the least of it. The real bomber(s) is/are out there somewhere and the government don't even have to acknowledge that fact. And it's being widely reported in the news that the decision to release Al-megrahi will be down to "the Scottish Government" (sic) and Kenny MacAskill alone. Who do they think they're kidding with that one, and What's it going to do for Scotland's reputation?

Am I on my own in thinking this whole thing stinks from start to finish? Aren't we all being treated like idiots here, and wasn't Ronnie Biggs' release just the opening gambit in a childish, intelligence insulting game?