Posted By James M Have you read the latest news that a Blackburn fan has been fine £1000 and banned from all football grounds for 5 years for racial verbal abuse? All well and good but when you consider that this is more than twice the amount that two recent hit and run (ending in fatalities) convictions, I do think that our legal system need a good shake up. Drive a car with no licence, no tax, no MOT , speed and kill someone and it is more serious than saying a few naughty word to someone. What a country we live in. What happened to sticks and stones??

Posted By Merv Newman Bring back hanging and birching ! seriously, seriously. And transportation. And the ducking stool, and (i'm getting quite excited) the stocks and and adn .....,

Posted By Jack Agreed Dave

Posted By Edward H Just for your info: Magistrates operate under national sentencing guidelines. For fines there are three bands suggested which are dependent on the income of the criminal; Band A equals half the weekly disposable income; Band B is equal to the weekly income and Band C is double the income. The sentencing guidelines suggest which band to apply for a particular offence and also suggest factors which might increase or decrease the fine in the individual circumstances. Hence a Toerag on benefits would be fined less than half as much as a Toerag on an average wage for the same offence.

Posted By Peter MacDonald Dave Should we be taking citizen/ legal advice from someone who is a deranged devil worshipping father. Or is their another meaning to psychodad666. (slipknot fan perchance?) Peter

Posted By James M so that's why the yobs don't want to work, the more they earn the bigger the fine they have to pay. It all makes sense now! ps. My vote goes to the party that brings in a minimum of 10 years for any hit and run whether the victim survives or not. Add 5 years for no licence and another 5 for alcohol consumption.

Posted By Nick Higginson Handy with a gun, But he loves his son, Killed his wife cos she weighs a ton, Psychodad, Psychodad, Psychodad! R.I.P. Al Bundy

Posted By Robin B The law is an ass. My company received two improvements notices and have the threat of proscecution over us. The HSE spent days taking statements and the refused to give me a copy of mine. Don't suspected criminals and terrorists have access to their statements?

Posted By BarryS Nick, Nick, Nick, (and no - not a tribute to Mr Davidson, who I'm sure would have some enlightened comments to make on the race issue) There is no fat discrimination law or dysmorphic protection law in force - it IS against the law however to hurl racist / xenophobic abuse. The point is - if it is aginst the law then something should be done - where do you draw the line? If I "only" shoplift 1 tin of beer do I get off with it? If I'm "only" 2 units over the limit should the courts time not be wasted? It's a very slippery slope - if the public feel a law is wrong then set about changing it - not ignoring it! What sort of message does it give to kids etc at football grounds that this type of behaviour is acceptable? - it doesn't matter if the subject of the abuse is a highly paid prima donna or not - would you have a different attitude if dwight Yorke was just an ordinary guy on the street being abused? This type of attitude runs very close to the Christmas party 'pinch on the bum - it's only a laugh' behaviour - that has landed many a man in Tribunal. I'm sure an enlightened man like yourself was only playing Devil's advocate.........wern't you?

Posted By Nick Higginson BarryS Maybe I was playing Devils Advocate......or maybe it's what I really think......or maybe it IS because the judas walked out on Villa. Nick PS Aren't fat people entitled to protection under the Human Rights Act? And as far as I know, there is specific legislation on protecting women but I haven't seen the case yet where Chubby Brown was prosecuted for referring to them as "split-a***s".

Posted By Nick Higginson Mark Agree with you totally, but it was not Ron Atkinson in charge at Villa when Yorke quit. Regards Nick