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Disorder Update III: One rule for the rich and...well, you know the rest...

You get bailed if you live here..... 
London Magistrates’ Courts today were predictably awash with those arrested as rioters and looters since the weekend.

Amongst the stories that caught the eye of several news outlets was the case of the millionaire’s daughter who was arrested for looting.  Laura Johnson, a 19-year student from Kent, appeared in front Bexleyheath Magistrates today charged with along with two others, in connection with the alleged theft of £5,000 of goods from the Stonelake Retail Park in Charlton, south London. Johnson indicated a plea of not guilty to five counts of burglary.

It is alleged that the stolen goods were found in a car being driven by the St Olave's Grammar School old girl (founded in 1571 don't you know). Johnson, who studies English and Italian at the University of Exeter, was granted bail on condition that she does not associate with her co–accused. She must also wear an electronic tag, submits to a curfew between 7pm and 6am and must not enter any London postcode.

Given that her family home is a prosperous farm house outside Orpington in leafy Kent, Johnson shouldn’t find the bail conditions too onerous.

But while she goes home with Mummy and Daddy, spare a thought for the two young men who were charged with her. It didn’t seem to warrant much mention in the eyes of the media however that there was a marked difference in how Johnson and her co-defendants were processed by the legal system for the exact same offences.
But you get remanded in custody
if you live somewhere like this...  

Her co-defendants, Alexander Elliott–Joahill, aged 18 and a 17-year who can’t be named, were dealt with separately at Camberwell Green magistrates', for reasons that have not yet been made clear. The court heard there were four people  in the car which allegedly contained £5,000 worth of electrical equipment as well as alcohol and tobacco worth more than £500.

It is understood that the 17 year–old, who is studying for a business degree at Christ the King College in south–east London, indicated a plea of not guilty to five counts of burglary while Elliott–Joahill gave no indication.

Apparently, Johnson’s co-defendants were passengers in the car. Both were denied bail. The two youths were remanded and will probably remain in custody until their next appearance, scheduled for 07 September.

A trusted source close to Elliott–Joahill, expressed anger and disbelief; first at the decision to have the first court appearances of the three co-defendants separated and then secondly at the fact that Johnson was bailed while the two younger men (one of whom is a juvenile) were remanded in custody.

TRWS understands that there is a need to expedite justice in the aftermath of this week’s public disorder; society frankly demands it. However, justice must also be seen to be done. We observed the opening shots of this particular criminal prosecution with a real sense of unease.

Justice must be the same for nice white middle class girls who ‘go astray’ as it is for young black men who have faced generational exclusion, otherwise it’s not blind is it?

If a young black man can’t get bail after being charged with a crime, I can’t see why his older (and presumably wiser) white co-defendant is not also remanded in custody for the exact same offence.

Well, that’s not actually true; I can see several million 'reasons' why this might be the case....
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Comments

  1. Dexter Pinto11 August 2011 at 21:28

    Rather than looking for any racial connotations in this, its simply down to her being a pretty odds on bet to answer bail.
    If the colours were reversed the outcome would have been identical.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous12 August 2011 at 15:32

    what paper do you write for your thoughts are very interesting admirer

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous12 August 2011 at 15:43

    a little cycnical me thinks,none of those should be looting.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Deptford Croppy17 August 2011 at 23:15

    @Dexter Pinto: you make a very fair point but while the racial connotation is there for the making, the real issue is probably one of class as you also seem to be suggesting.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous18 August 2011 at 10:35

    sean,Ireland had a very sad history,you seem to have an unusual interest in it,dont you think its best to move on.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Deptford Croppy18 August 2011 at 15:31

    @Anonymous 1: thanks for your comments, my work appears in Sabotage Times and Snipe, sadly no-one else shares your clear good taste!
    @Anonymous 2: you are of course dead right.
    @Anonymous 3: I'm confused as to (a) why you posted your comment on an article that had nothing to do with Ireland, (b) Why 'Anonymous' if you seem to know my name and (c) I don't think history is happy or sad and Ireland's is no better or worse than any country which has a colonial past. Thanks for all your comments.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous18 August 2011 at 20:41

    thanks for taking the time to reply,as I said your thoughts are interesting and I am an admirer of your work,kind regards.

    ReplyDelete

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