A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Conservatives, Julian Robertson, has described DUP plans to introduce legislation implementing mandatory gaol sentences for attacks on elderly people as a “headline grabbing gimmick”
“Where there is an attack on an older person we are dealing with a particularly deplorable crime”, Julian continued. “But it’s disappointing that the DUP wants to use an important and emotive issue as an excuse for political point-scoring.”
“There is certainly an argument for tougher sentences where violent assaults are concerned, particularly if vulnerable people are the victims, and it’s quite possible to look at sentencing guidelines around these crimes. However there’s no need to remove ultimate discretion from the judiciary in such cases.”
“That’s the norm in our justice system and it’s certainly not a matter of being soft on thugs. Rather than apply rigid criteria, judges can look at all the facts surrounding an incident and apply a harsher punishment where the circumstances are particularly nasty.”
“The PSNI is doing a good job combating crime on older and vulnerable people, with the result that such attacks are at a 15 year low, but, of course, there can be no room for complacency. Even one incident is one too many.”
“The courts must hand down sentences which act as a deterrent and, if needs be, that means looking at sentencing guidelines. The idea of legislation, based on something as arbitrary as the age of the victim, however, is simply a gimmick, designed to allow DUP politicians to burnish their ‘tough on crime’ credentials. This is policy driven by the party’s press office and we need to focus on what works, rather than being waylaid by DUP posturing.”