When does the punishment fit the crime?

[bootyinblue]

Think back to some stories you have heard in the news lately about animal cruelty and other related type crimes and I think the Magistrate got it right this time.

/>http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8238919

Its the guy who ran down the swan at the Gold Coast. $11,600 in restitution to the wildlife sanctuary who tried to save the swan and 180 hours of community service.

Thats 8 hours a day every second weekend for 4 months or so.... Good stuff!

What do you think?

[AZZA]

It good to see pity the did not take his licence and impound his ski. It's a shame that punishment is not delt out consistantly.

[bootyinblue]

Remember the pony dragged behind a car at Toowoomba?

17yo - 2 years probation with no conviction recorded (stay out of serious trouble for 2 years and it will be like it never happened as its not recorded)

33yo - 3 month wholly suspended sentence with a conviction recorded (stay out of trouble for 3 months and you wont have the sentence possibly invoked)

Each had $3280 costs awarded against them too.

[AZZA]

It must realy grate on you guys when you go to all the effort to see some of the little aholes walk away scott free

[bootyinblue]

It must realy grate on you guys when you go to all the effort to see some of the little aholes walk away scott free

These are cases which were prosecuted by the RSPCA. Perhaps their prosecutors eat different breakfast cereal to ours

And sorry, I didnt realise there was a thread specifically on the swan. The thread title was a little too cryptic for me.

[Do$tylz]

Remember the pony dragged behind a car at Toowoomba?

17yo - 2 years probation with no conviction recorded (stay out of serious trouble for 2 years and it will be like it never happened as its not recorded)

33yo - 3 month wholly suspended sentence with a conviction recorded (stay out of trouble for 3 months and you wont have the sentence possibly invoked)

Each had $3280 costs awarded against them too.

That is disgraceful. Absolutely wrong.

Where are PETA and the PEW on matters like that?? rather than wasting their time saving sea-kittens and handbags...
/>http://www.couriermail.com.au/entertainment/confidential/victoria-beckhams-28000-hermes-bag-allegedly-made-from-crocodiles-that-were-skinned-alive/story-e6freq7o-1226041172723

[Guest]

An eye for an eye... But it makes it hard for people that are innocent that are convicted for something that they did not do. But i realy do think do as india dose, you steal rape your hand gets cut off.. and so on and so on. This is just my thoughts only.

[Derrilex]

Good sentence for the swan. Should have taken his ski though and never let him hold a marine licence of any description. Maybe the media should get behind things a bit more and make these cases higher profile - worked for the swan. I dont understand why magistrates are so out of touch with reality. Imagine the scum they see on a daily basis and yet still let them walk with little or no penalty. Is it a government directive to give no jail time because of overcrowding ? or the cost to society to imprison these idiots ? I would gladly see my tax dollars used towards really smashing these oxygen thieves in prison with big bubba paying them a visit for a " cuddle ".

[woody1]

I totally agree with you booty, but it's interesting to see fisherman talking about animal cruilty. When you think about it, we (myself included) are the biggest bunch of animal cruilty violaters out there. (yep... I went there)

Imagine if you lured in a cat with some food, drove some hooks through it's nose and leg, then threw it out hoping to see a dog eat it all for your pleasure, then drowned the dog underwater to kill it.

You would end up in prison for sure... but we all do the same thing with fish and see nothing wrong with it. Im not gonna stop doing it, but it just made me think. Does anyone have a sugestion how I can justify it to myself now?

[tomca]

I believe that if I don't punish violent grubs when I have the chance, there is little chance magistrates will.

[yoyo]

that guy should have got a couple of months inside to have a think about it, PLUS what he actually got.

Typical friggin coastie degenerate.

[pinkey]

I totally agree with you booty, but it's interesting to see fisherman talking about animal cruilty. When you think about it, we (myself included) are the biggest bunch of animal cruilty violaters out there. (yep... I went there)

Imagine if you lured in a cat with some food, drove some hooks through it's nose and leg, then threw it out hoping to see a dog eat it all for your pleasure, then drowned the dog underwater to kill it.

You would end up in prison for sure... but we all do the same thing with fish and see nothing wrong with it. Im not gonna stop doing it, but it just made me think. Does anyone have a sugestion how I can justify it to myself now?

You bring up a great point. Do fish feel pain? That's the big question. But then again.. Is it still right to kill animals that don't feel pain? Is it okay to kill a dog in it's sleep? or a human who's unconscious? It's hard to know where to draw the line.

[ellicat]

I don't believe fish have the brain capacity to identify "pain". Their brains are developed towards survival. For instance a Great White sharks brain is approximately the size of a man's thumb. The majority of it's capacity/function is attributed to smell, movement and fight/flight responses. That leaves very little capacity for pain as we humans perceive it.

If you don't agree and believe they would be shedding tears if they had ducts then consider this. The stress of a capture would override any pain. Ever heard an interview from a shark attack survivor - pain doesn't even feature in the description of the attack. The stress limits the pain and the brain focuses all attention on moves to survive. The pain comes later when they're taking the stitches out. Similarly people that cut off their own limbs to survive.

Hope this helps you live with yourself Woody

Personally I think the death of a swan is insignificant in the big scheme of things and there are many other worse things that are more important that should get our attention. Things like drunk drivers killing or maiming children that get lighter sentences and more compassion than some idiot that runs over a swan. Priorities are a bit messed up I think. For example http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/20/3196611.htm?section=justin - 10 months suspended and no licence for 16 months. I think my priorities are right to value a human life over a swan.

I love to hunt and kill things. It is natural. That is how the food chain works.

[yoyo]

it's been a while since i did any solid reading along this line for Uni, so more evidence to support or to the contrary may have come out in the interim....But where i got off the marine biology bus, the general thinking was that "fish" (as a generalisation) dont necessarily feel pain like we humans feel/interpret pain. Primarily they feel differeing levels of stress.

Now...then you get into the arument of whether stress actually is 'pain', which then becomes a very complex argument about the setups and functionality of various Peripheral and Central Nervous systems, etc etc etc ad infinitim.

If anyone gaffs a longtail or a spaniard on the weekend, for chrissakes can you just ask 'im if it hurt ?

[madmullet]

should be left for public punishment or humiliation....:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

[Whiskers]

Defiantley should have lost his PWC licence he has clearly shown he's not responsible enough.

Cam

[faulked]

I totally agree with you booty, but it's interesting to see fisherman talking about animal cruilty. When you think about it, we (myself included) are the biggest bunch of animal cruilty violaters out there. (yep... I went there)

Imagine if you lured in a cat with some food, drove some hooks through it's nose and leg, then threw it out hoping to see a dog eat it all for your pleasure, then drowned the dog underwater to kill it.

You would end up in prison for sure... but we all do the same thing with fish and see nothing wrong with it. Im not gonna stop doing it, but it just made me think. Does anyone have a sugestion how I can justify it to myself now?

easy just do the dog cat thing then youll never feel bad about fish again :evil:

[Gad]

Wow woody1 your in a bad way,

As far as “but it's interesting to see fisherman talking about animal cruilty. When you think about it, we (myself included) are the biggest bunch of animal cruilty violaters out there. (yep... I went there)â€

Leaving the vegetarian out, the slaughter houses of the world keep us all in supply with four legged and poultry meats and the commercial fishing industry with fish,and other seafoods.

So at the worst we are on par with these industries which are accepted by society,with the exception of PEW,PETA etc who go against normal rational thinking anyway…

Ok.. your cat and dog story is on par with what booty`s thread is about.. individual idiots with a self chosen, mental health problem..

Now for ...†but we all do the same thing with fish and see nothing wrong with it. Im not gonna stop doing it, but it just made me thinkâ€

The majority of fisho`s are vary aware of caring for the well being of fish caught,it`s in our best interests…I`m sure we exercise more care,than is given to them by the predators in the waters...

if you still have these horrid thoughts,whiskers has a thread going for cheap Great Northern lager cartons,that may help

[bootyinblue]

Personally I think the death of a swan is insignificant in the big scheme of things and there are many other worse things that are more important that should get our attention. Things like drunk drivers killing or maiming children that get lighter sentences and more compassion than some idiot that runs over a swan. Priorities are a bit messed up I think. For example http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/20/3196611.htm?section=justin - 10 months suspended and no licence for 16 months. I think my priorities are right to value a human life over a swan.

Yes I shake my head just as hard as others at a lot of decisions handed down by Magistrates, but as I said I think s/he got it right this time....

[ellicat]

Yep. It's not this sentence was too heavy, the rest are just soooo light I guess. It's just a disgrace. Legislating maximum sentences instead of minimum sentences is a cowardly government decision.