[2dogs]

This should help.:rolleyes:


http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/7298033?source=Evening%20Standard

Boy, 10, charged over water pistol

22 October 2003

A boy of 10 has been summoned to court charged with squirting a woman with his water pistol.

The boy allegedly hit a woman in her fifties in April. She then called the police.

The schoolboy is due to attend the youth court at Weymouth magistrates' court, Dorset, on Friday to answer a charge of assault.

[agricola]

hey, if she wants to make a complaint of common assault then its up to her.

[Iain]

Didn't some old person die a few years back after being squirted with water pistols? Could be in my head, but think he caught pneumonia. No-one is talking about new 'anti-water pistol laws', as agricola said if she wants to make a complaint of common assault that is up to her.

[FPrice]

"The schoolboy is due to attend the youth court at Weymouth magistrates' court, Dorset, on Friday to answer a charge of assault."

Technically I thought this was "battery" and not "assault".

However, technical quibbles aside, without having read the (full) story it seems like it is her choice but I think she may be over-reacting just a teeny bit. Calling the police because someone squirted you with a water pistol?

Where is Paul Harvey with "the rest of the story".

[jwmoore]

Hang him, hang him! :rolleyes:

The idiocy amazes me.

~W

[Joe Demko]

I'd say the woman has every right to be left in peace by the little cretin and his water gun. The word "gun" in the story automatically prompts some at this board to rush to the defense of the young man in question. How about if he had been throwing water baloons at her? Would that have also been cute boyish fun? Hey, he got to dance, now it's time to pay the piper. The lesson on how important it is to leave other people the hell alone can't be learned too early.

[Mr. Bombastic]

Some more information on this incident from my newspaper (I ain't gonna type the whole thing, but here are the key points):

When her son (and a friend) squirted the lady, the mother apologised to the lady, confiscated the toys and gave the boys a stern telling off.

The lady was so furious, she called the police.

The boys were then given a choice by the police; an official caution, or they would be prosecuted for assault with a water pistol.

One set of parents accepted their sons caution, the mother mentioned previously didn't, as she felt her son had learned his lesson already.

Dorset Police said last night, that it is clamping down on anti-social behaviour.

[Joe Demko]

Sometimes "I'm sorry" isn't enough. Just because mom offered an apology puts no obligation on the lady to accept it.

[mtnbkr]

What is an Official Caution?

Chris

[Quartus]

Having the legal right to charge a boy with assault doens't make it right.


She's an idiot. The boy needs a spanking, not a criminal proceding.

[agricola]

mtnbkr,

The reporter probably means the youth was offered either a youth reprimand or a youth warning - equivalent to an adult caution, which over here basically means that you admit the offence but (because of the nature of the offence usually) no criminal court proceedings are going to result. The caution remains on file for three years and can be used when a court determines sentence, especially for like offences. Youths dont get "cautions".

For a youth under 17 to get either a reprimand or a warning, both he/she and the parent, guardian or appropriate adult must consent - from Mr. Bombastics' post it appears one parent didnt consent and so court proceedings must result.

One wonders what that parent is thinking.

[Joe Demko]

She's an idiot. The boy needs a spanking, not a criminal proceding.

Didn't see anything in the article about the boy getting the spanking you say he needs. Based on this thread, all he got was a "stern telling off." Should the lady have taken it upon herself to spank the wayward lad?

[FPrice]

"Dorset Police said last night, that it is clamping down on anti-social behaviour."

AHA! Now we see. The Bahavior Police. Beware subjects, if we don't like your behavior we WILL arrest you for rude behavior.

If this is the case, from what I have heard, every waiter in Paris would be serving a life sentence. Hmm, maybe there IS a bright spot to this after all.

:rolleyes:

[RocketMan]

Sounds like the kids need some parental discipline.
Sounds like the lady needs to learn some anger management skills.
Fault on all sides.

[Keith]

What ever happened to looking up the parent and having them deal with the situation?

Anybody who would call a cop over an incident like this should have their meds increased.

Keith

[Moparmike]

What ever happened to draging the boy down thru town to his mother's house by his ear?

This lady needs to get over herself, and the boys need to learn that picking on people not in their age group who mind being squirted isnt really a good idea.:rolleyes:

That and spanking. It does wonders for discipline.

[Bigjake]

AMEN mike

[Quartus]

Should the lady have taken it upon herself to spank the wayward lad?


She SHOULD have been free to do so, but in this day, she's NOT.


That doesn't mean criminal proceedings are appropriate for a kid who misused a squirtgun.


She also has the option of just getting over it.

[Standing Wolf]

Thank heaven no one was killed in this terrible, tragic assault!

[WonderNine]

What a tangled web we weave.

I wonder if he used an "assault" water pistol.

[Joe Demko]

Hilarious. This is the very same board where members regularly d1ckwave over the moral rightness of shooting someone dead for theft, vandalism, or other property crime; yet this woman had an indignity visited upon her person but she has to "let it go" or "get over it" or learn "anger management" because she is acting within the law and going to the police. This is also the same board where there has been gloating and laughter when teenage idiots w/ paintball guns were killed by people with real guns. Why doesn't one of you "bleat" that he is only a child?

[agricola]

<---- stares at Golgo's post in disbelief

why didnt I think of that? :D

[Iain]

Angry much Golgo? I agree with you, I think some have had their judgement affected by the words 'gun' and 'UK' appearing in the same article.

[RocketMan]

Golgo-13,

Okay, it was a heinous assault. Such an indignity.
That poor woman could have drowned.
Death penalty for the kid, let's get a rope.

Good grief. Where is your sense of proportion? It was a couple of squirts of water, fer cryin' out loud!

If she is so thin skinned as to be hideously affected by that, she is the one that needs help, not the kid.

Mountains out of molehills here. Big ones.

[Quartus]

Good grief. Where is your sense of proportion?


He's a liberal, Rocketman. Ergo, no sense of proportion.

[Joe Demko]

Quartus,
I'll thank you not to speak for what my political alignments may be. Speak for yourself and leave me to speak for myself.

Proportion? Talk about proportion to me on this board when I never again see another smug, gloating post about it being legal to kill a man in Texas for comitting criminal mischief after dark. Sorry, gentlemen, you can't have it both ways, IMO. She believed herself to be injured, she is doing what she believes is right and necessary. No different from the people on this board who would shoot a man dead for stealing a car stereo.

[RocketMan]

Ah, yes, tar everyone with the same brush.

All of us on this board advocate shooting property thieves. All umpteen thousand of us. I guess that makes it okay. :rolleyes:

Let's hang the kid.

Remind me never to accidentally step on your grass.

Thanks for setting me straight, Golgo.

[P95Carry]

Two over reactions ... 1) hers ...... even tho she has a right to complain ... seems a tad excessive to ''call the cops'' .. at least on the evidence available. It was what was once called a ''prank'' ... stupid maybe but ..... kids do things!

2) .. The law's .. meaning probably the cops ... even if she ''filed charges'' .... in ''the old days'' .. sorry, showing my age again ...... it would have been much more likely that the kid would have got a hard slap or two .... and the parents would have been informed ... possibly yielding another hard slap or two ... and a demand that the kid apolagize to the lady ... even make him mow her grass! etc.

This kid may be a young punk .. heading towards bigger and badder things .. or he may be a ''normal'' kid who was thoughtless and ill mannered .. but who can learn by his mistakes - and yet finish up a good upstanding adult. Court appearance still seems rather OT.

Pity about some of the apparent vitriol in this thread ..... but hey ..... it's a discussion board!:)

[Zedicus]

All I have to say on this is what I've basicaly been saying for the last few years.

The UK is Circling the Drain!

What's next? Bringing God up on charges for dousing people with Recycled Water wenever it Rains?:rolleyes:

[Mk VII]

" Water pistol case dropped
Criminal charges against a 10-year-old boy accused of squirting a water pistol at a woman in Dorset have been withdrawn.
It had been alleged that two boys drenched a passer-by, in her late 50s, with high-powered water rifles in Westbury, Sherborne, on 13 April this year, causing "a great deal of distress", police said. Following an investigation, officers cautioned one of the boys but the 10-year-old declined to accept the formal warning.
At Weymouth Youth Court on Friday the prosecution formally withdrew the charge due to lack of evidence. Inspector Nick Budden, of Sherborne police, defended the decision to pass the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
He said: "The other boy declined a caution and due to the cause of the circumstances in this particular case, it was felt appropriate to pursue the case through the youth court rather than take no action. "Anti-social behaviour is high on the list of our priorities because of the distress it causes and I can reassure the people of Sherborne that we will continue to combat anti-social behaviour. "No-one is immune from prosecution from the age of 10 upwards."

'Public interest'

A spokeswoman for the CPS said: "We received the file from the police, and have reviewed it in accordance with our normal procedures, using the criteria of the Code for Crown Prosecutors. "We keep all of our cases under constant review and we decided that there was insufficient evidence to secure a conviction. "The CPS withdrew the case in court this morning at the first hearing. "When deciding to prosecute we have to be satisfied that there is enough evidence to provide a realistic prospect of a conviction and, if so, whether a prosecution is in the public interest." "
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/dorset/3210569.stm

[agricola]

What's next? Bringing God up on charges for dousing people with Recycled Water wenever it Rains?

given Zedicus' talent for fabrication this story will probably emerge here soon enough :rolleyes:

[Keith]

Ag,

I'm actually on your side on this one! "Assault" with water guns, cream pies and even rude gestures has been prosecuted here as well.

Rude or inappropriate behavior is just that - it isn't "assault" - yet arrests and prosecutions for such silliness occur...

Keith

[Dashunde]

Golgo-13... THE KID IS TEN! He is just a ordinary brat. He thinks he is being funny, or just plain ornery.

I don’t deny the woman’s right to peace, but I hope that anyone, who thinks the police and courts have a justifiable place in the story, get sent to hell wearing gasoline underwear. :fire: :uhoh: :D

He (again) is 10, he needs to be taught and disciplined, not arraigned. :rolleyes:

[Quartus]

Quartus,
I'll thank you not to speak for what my political alignments may be. Speak for yourself and leave me to speak for myself.



I was quoting you. Sorry - I took you at your word. My bad.

[2dogs]

"Anti-social behaviour is high on the list of our priorities because of the distress it causes and I can reassure the people of Sherborne that we will continue to combat anti-social behaviour. "No-one is immune from prosecution from the age of 10 upwards."

Just curious- is picking your nose anti-social.:eek:

I pray everyday we stop heading down the same Socialist hell hole the UK went down. Hope it works. Maybe Ted Kennedy will drive off a bridge.........:evil:

[jwmoore]

Quoting Mk VII:
two boys drenched a passer-by, in her late 50s, with high-powered water rifles

I'm sorry, high powered water rifles? An assault Super Soaker? :rolleyes:

~W

[Mr. Bombastic]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/10/25/nsoak25.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/10/25/ixhome.html

A boy of 10 who was summonsed for assault after he squirted a water pistol at a woman passer-by had the case against him dropped yesterday.

The Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence to proceed against the boy, who cannot be named because of his age.

The withdrawal of the summons at Weymouth youth court, Dorset, was criticised by the victim. But the Howard League for Penal Reform said the decision to take the boy to court had been a "waste of police time and public funds".

The boy, who is at the youngest age of criminal responsibility, was summonsed to answer a charge of assaulting Susan Stinchcombe, 57, in Sherborne, Dorset, in April.

Mrs Stinchcombe was on her way home from church when the boy and his friend asked her to pick up something they had dropped. When she crossed the road she was squirted in her face.

She said: "It was a calculated attack. I went into the boy's house to speak to his mother but she refused to reprimand him. When I turned to leave they squirted me in the back again."

His mother said after the case: "I cannot believe the police wasted time and money on this. It is so over the top."

[Dashunde]

... (Old Woman) When I turned to leave they squirted me in the back again.
Anyone else laughing inside?

[Pendragon]

I think she was well within her rights.

Lots of women wear makeup and getting blasted in the face can really make you look like a wreck.

Also, water is not completely harmless - it can ruin some kinds of clothes and things like a cell phone, a gift package, etc.

I don't think the kid necessarily needs to go to juvie (or whatever they have there), but having him hauled before the powers that be to give an answer for what he did might help straighten him out.

Since he is a minor, his parents should at least get a hard stare as well.

Was she in physical danger? Unlikley - although if she was flustered enough, she could have falled, possibly causing serious injury.

To laugh this off like a harmless prank is to miss the point. She was violated - a very slight violation perhaps, but it was a violation and to officially ignore a small violation is to reduce the seriousness of all violations.

I don't see whats wrong with the kids talking to the law some. When I was about that age, we went into a trailer house in a remote area and took some crayons and a few other things worth less than 5 dollars. My dad called the cops who came out and scared us real good and took the stuff back.

I suppose my dad and others could have said "no big deal, a few crayons and whatnot - no real harm" but what would that have taught me? I would have probably tried something more serious. As it was, the Alaska State Trooper put a good fear in me and I didnt do anything like that again - ever.

[Moparmike]

had the case against him dropped yesterday.Wow, there is still a shred of common sense in the UK. Who knew?:confused:

I think that bringing charges against him was a little much. Calling the cops and putting the fear of the law into them would be a good idea, right before the parents used Use Number #3 for a belt.