Attorney General refuses to appeal ‘toddler fight’ sentences
You may recall from my last ‘Diary’ I have called for a debate on leniency in sentencing guidelines. I had also written to the Attorney General asking him to appeal the sentences handed out to mother, aunt and grandmother of the children involved in the ‘toddler fight’ case.
The Attorney General has since called me to say that he will not appeal the sentencing.
I have to say that I was astounded as I am sure every parent in the country will be. The behaviour of the perpetrators in this case was sickening. I found their actions deeply disturbing and am frankly appalled that they have got away with such lenient sentences.
The young children’s father described the video footage as ‘like watching a dog fight’. It this had been a dog fight then the perpetrators would have received custodial sentences instead they received 100 days community service and a one-year suspended sentence.
Northern Ireland
This May, we have seen historic political changes take place in Northern Ireland as politicians from all sides came together at Stormont to celebrate the restoration of devolved government in the province.
I served in Northern Ireland during the height of the troubles in the 1970s, so it has been a particularly reflective time for me. I am honoured to now be in a position where I can remind those in authority of the high cost of peace and pay tribute to our brave servicemen and women who served there.
In particular, I have called on the Government to do more to help the family of my former captain from the 1st Battalion the Grenadier Guards, Capt Robert Nairac GC. Capt Nairac was later seconded to the SAS and served undercover in the ‘bandit country’ of South Armagh. In May 1977 he was snatched from a local pub where he was due to meet a contact. He was driven over the border to the Republic of Ireland, interrogated and shot by the Provisional IRA. His body has never been recovered and I have called on the Government to do more to help the family resolve this dreadful situation.
I will never forget him, not least because he was the first man to break my nose – he was an excellent boxer!
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