Police want long court sentence to help cut knife crime
Saturday 9th April 2011, 2:30PM BST.
Anthony Jones, who has been jailed for attempted murder.
Judge Russell Finch said such crimes, using knives and other weapons, would be dealt with seriously – and the sentence should act as a deterrent to others.
That view was echoed by Detective Sergeant Karl Zierlinger, the deputy senior investigating officer, who said the police were pleased with the sentence.
‘The courts are taking a strong stance. Mr [Richard] Wordsworth was badly injured and the implications were very serious,’ he said.
- Read the full story in the Guernsey Press. See below for subscription details.
- To read Guernsey Press stories in full click here for subscription details. Individual editions are now available online.
Island Life
All about Guernsey
Ambassador of the Year 2011
History & Heritage
Visitor Information
Guernsey's government
Campaigns
Voice For Victims
Voice for Victims is a campaign aimed at promoting the rights of those affected by child sexual abuse.
This is Guernsey
Guernsey Press
Useful Links
The sentence was not long enough. This was a planned and premeditated attack, and he should have been put away for life. The fact that his victim is still alive is a miracle and should not have influenced the sentence. The world is going softer by the day!
Report abuse
He doesn’t look much bothered in his picture. Does that mean he gets the usual: ‘eligible for parole’ after a ridiculously short period of time?? Or: 14 years off for good behaviour, like eating all his greens?
Report abuse
at least he is sentenced to 15 years (not enough)once again the courts have let the public and the police down just like last year when that woman attacked and stabbed 2 people in a clearly premeditated attack (she went home got a knife and lay in wait for them telling the police on arrest she wanted them off the planet)and got 7 years because she pleaded guilty (she had no choice as there were witnesses).The courts (judges and jurats) are out of touch with the publics view on these crimes.People who commit these crimes do not deserve to live alongside the general public they are CRIMINALS who need to be put away for a loong time they are a danger to the public.There is no excuse for trying to take the life of another person.
Report abuse
Brian Harper
Just a theory but perhaps he doesn’t look that bothered because having been given a transcript of everything the prosecution witnesses were going to say, he had just dreamt up a defence which might fit the general circumstances
‘The wife did it’ had already been bagged by someone else so I reckon he had just come up with a perfectly believable ‘I was just showing him a knife I had found in his driveway and for some unknown reason he ran straight at me.It was a pure accident Guv’
Report abuse
So are we Tax payers paying another “foreigners” keep for the next 15 years then ?
Report abuse
David
Nope. Ten with good behaviour. Less if he is paroled. I think islanders should get to hear about prisoners paroled in the UK when they have been sentenced by our courts.
Would make interesting statistical comparisons with the local system.
Report abuse
Off topic slightly, but relating to sentence length. Has Wayne Le Sauvage been released? I am certain it’s him I’ve seen travelling up and down the front in an old blue 3 series recently. That was a seven year sentence in Jan 2007 I believe and perhaps some was already served whilst in custody for a year. Early release? It’s the spitting image if not.
Report abuse
Scarbs
I imagine WLS is out by now if he served 2/3rds of his sentence.
I don’t understand how this guy got more than double WLS or the woman who stabbed her ex and his new girlfriend.
Inconsistency in Guernsey sentencing – surely not!!!
Report abuse
Would have been shorter sentance for killing your mum !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report abuse
Phil – the question of inconsistency does seem to appear pretty frequently.
Perhaps as part of the criminal justice system there should be a legal requirement to explain to the offender the sentence length / severity?
Criminal sentencing is one of those things where there will never be total agreement, but I do think it is right and proper to explain to an individual (and the wider public) the details of their punishment – and why their particular sentence might be more severe / lenient compared to other similar offences.
I doubt it will be the panacea for all inconsistencies, but a bit more transparency in sentencing decision making would certainly help.
Report abuse
Paul
Fairly recent cases of manslaughter have resulted in sentences of roughly half / a third of what this guy got for attempted murder, and in his case nobody actually died!!
Doesn’t make much sense to me, and women are always sentenced lighter than men for some reason, so much for equality!!
Report abuse
Phil – given your views on this particular subject what are your thoughts on my idea (1:01pm)?
Report abuse
Phil
The difference is probably that in manslaughter there is a reckless unplanned act such as a single punch which knocks someone down some steps causing death,whereas in this case Jones flew over to the island with the deliberate intention to do harm to his victim
Report abuse
Yes WLS is out….
Report abuse
firstly, i would expect no less from such a bizare turn of events, as aristotle said to plato ‘put down that knife, let’s eat cake with our hands’.
this i feel explains how we should treat knife crime on the ever present bailiwick of GUERNSEY. not ‘england’!!! we shall no follow their views on these issues.
Report abuse
Ray
I don’t think that’s the case in all instances of manslaughter – remember the two young women about 7 years ago who repeatedly kicked another woman in the head, and stamped on her head as well. Hardly an isolated punch, and their sentence was 5 years I believe I’m correct in saying.
Report abuse
The point is that WLS pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. No doubt, that afforded him some mitigation before for his plea and for his issues; hence the lower sentence.
People do get lesser sentences for pleading guilty, save for cases of murder, where the sentence is always life imprisonment.
However, Mr Jones clearly stabbed his victim in cold blood having apparently pre-planned it. It was only by very good fortune that his victim survived, no thanks to Mr Jones. He was then found guilty by the Jurats after a very lengthy trial by Guernsey standards. He was quite rightly not entitled to any credit or discount in his sentence for a guilty plea.
In my experience, although sentencing decisions in Guernsey can look somewhat inconsistent to the untrained eye, once you are appraised of all of the relevant facts, including the plea, the aggravating and mitigating factors etc and the other relevant matters that were before the Court, most (although not all) apparent inconsistency can be rationally explained and justified.
Report abuse
Chris – good last paragraph.
As you say, a lot of differences can be explained and justified quite rationally however I think the justice system would be well served if they were at least summarised in a manner the average person can understand.
Report abuse
Sentences are given out in great detail, I understand – you cannot rely on truncated media reports to assess them. It might be an idea to sit in the gallery and listen one day?
Report abuse
Guernsey Fred – you are right, we should not be following the instances laid out by the UK. it is not our big brother – so why should we use it’s hand-me-down-laws??
Report abuse
Yes ,why not bring back hanging? At least it would save on electricity !
Report abuse
Yes Wayne Le Sauvage is out and has been for several months.
He has paid his debt to ‘society’ now leave him get over his personal demons.
The fact that he is still on the island is very brave considering he needn’t be and could have quite easily slipped back in to the drug world of negativity and crime.
Report abuse