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  • Urinating student on memorial avoids prison .

    What a waste of oxygen this moron is , i only wish a serving soldier had been in the vicinity a the time ,and here they are affording binge drink while claiming they are skint



    A student who admitted outraging public decency after he was pictured urinating over a Sheffield war memorial has been ordered to do community service.

    Philip Laing, 19, of Macclesfield, Cheshire, was charged after the Daily Mail website published the photograph.

    The Sheffield Hallam University student, who had been on a drinking heavily, had been warned he faced jail.

    He was told to complete 250 hours community service when he appeared at the city's magistrates' court.

    District Judge Anthony Browne said he had decided against jailing Laing.

    He said: "I have never seen anyone more contrite for what has happened nor one who regrets more the hurt and distress he has caused.


    All this is set against a backdrop... of a culture of drinking far too much
    District Judge Anthony Browne

    "You have understandably had the wrath and indignation of the public heaped upon you and your family."

    The court heard Laing started his night out on 11 October by sharing a bottle of whisky with a friend before consuming further alcohol at an event organised by the private company Carnage UK.

    The sports technology student said he had no recollection of the events of the night until he was contacted by the university press office and shown the photograph which later appeared on the newspaper's website.

    University disciplinary

    The judge said: "No one forced you to take all this drink, or forced it down you, or persuaded you to commit a criminal offence.

    "You did that all by yourself and you must take responsibility.

    "But all this is set against a backdrop, as your solicitor has said, of a culture of drinking far too much.

    "In my view something does need to be done to change this culture.

    "What you have done has outraged and offended many and has saddened most."

    Tim Hughes, defending, told the court of his client's utter remorse.

    "Philip Laing has paid an extremely high price for one evening of complete and utter foolishness."

    He said Laing had no idea where he was when he was urinating.

    "He could have been standing in the middle of Hillsborough football ground, frankly."

    Mr Hughes said Laing had never been in trouble with the police and that prison would "utterly destroy what could otherwise be a good, hard-working, tax-paying life."

    He added: "In terms of remorse - absolutely, it's from ever pore."

    The judge, who also ordered Laing to pay £185 costs, said the student had been significantly punished and that Sheffield Hallam University was still to decide on his future.

    A spokesman for Sheffield Hallam University said: "The university has already initiated disciplinary proceedings against this student.

    "Now that the judicial process has been completed we will arrange a disciplinary hearing to decide appropriate sanctions.

  • #2
    That wanker would have been castrated if this happened in Iran or Egypt... He should have been tho.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by tankie View Post
      What a waste of oxygen this moron is , i only wish a serving soldier had been in the vicinity a the time ,and here they are affording binge drink while claiming they are skint
      He was drunk. Cadets at West Point have peed down the cannons that are posted in front of the 3-star generals house and from the Civil War era. Alcohol will make you do stupid things, even if you are smart and would never do such a thing sober.
      "So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Shek View Post
        He was drunk. Cadets at West Point have peed down the cannons that are posted in front of the 3-star generals house and from the Civil War era. Alcohol will make you do stupid things, even if you are smart and would never do such a thing sober.


        The judge said: "No one forced you to take all this drink, or forced it down you, or persuaded you to commit a criminal offence.

        "You did that all by yourself and you must take responsibility.
        :(

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Shek View Post
          He was drunk. Cadets at West Point have peed down the cannons that are posted in front of the 3-star generals house and from the Civil War era. Alcohol will make you do stupid things, even if you are smart and would never do such a thing sober.

          Mjr , he,s pissing on poppies freshly laid , and being drunk is no excuse , there is a law in the UK that licencees can lose their licence if they keep serving alcohol to people who are obviously drunk , which he obviously was , blame can be laid at others doors , but finally at his .Soldiers have been known to piss on the tracks , and exhaust pipes , when being drunk , we had an RTR memorial it was called the Korea bell , made from the shell cases from fired rounds , woe betide any one who went near it , except to clean it .

          .
          Last edited by tankie; 26 Nov 09,, 17:40.

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          • #6
            Much the same has happened for generations and there are not many soldiers, serving or otherwise who could 'cast the first stone'... although I must add they would not knowingly defile a War Memorial. This kid, I think, did not have a clue where he was or what he was doing. We have had people breaking into churches and doing unthinkable things on the alter who have been fined or given a Police warning. Grave yards are targeted by thugs and drunks on a frequent basis where they push over and smash gravestones. I hope some of his community service is spent scrubbing that Memorial.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by dave lukins View Post
              I hope some of his community service is spent scrubbing that Memorial.
              It's only appropriate if he does.

              Comment


              • #8
                Lukins Reply

                I rather suspect that this youngster DID know where he was and what he was doing. The error in judgement doesn't arise from him not knowing his location but in presuming what he did was humorous or "making a brave statement".

                Pissing down a cannon tube or on vehicles parked in a motor pool isn't the same as pissing on a memorial or grave. To me, memorials are cemetaries of sorts to the fallen and his act was beyond the pale. Wish some troops out late or whatever might have seen it...

                ...then again, they'd ripped him to shreds and be standing charges themselves for doing the right thing while under the influence...

                ...that too would have been an error of judgement but far more forgiveable.
                "This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski
                "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs

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                • #9
                  Steve, I have seen pictures and a mobile film of him, prior to 'the incident', of him lying in a state of stupor in a doorway being encouraged by other students to drink yet more. How he stood up is a fete on its own. I'm not making excuses for him. If I had been there he would be eating most of his meals through a straw for weeks to come. I also feel that the "friends" who took the photo's had a responsibility to stop him.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Lukins Reply

                    "Steve, I have seen pictures and a mobile film of him, prior to 'the incident', of him lying in a state of stupor in a doorway being encouraged by other students to drink yet more."

                    Understand. He WAS that fcuked up to be completely incoherant.

                    Yeah, I concur. His friends need to take the hit at least as hard as him. Those aren't friends and he'd be wise to lose that crowd in a hurry.
                    "This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski
                    "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I'm not arguing that he doesn't bear responsibility or shouldn't be held accountable. However, to ascribe pure motive to his actions when he was completely drunk and therefore prescribe a punishment consistent with that is off the mark.

                      The best punishment - make him research some of the soldiers for whom the memorial is dedicated. Track down and interview some family members and capture their memories of the soldiers. Publish his findings as an essay and publically present these. Beyond just removing choice of what to do with his free time, he'd be an advocate of the story of the memorial to his peers and spread the tradition of bravery to younger generations.

                      Let me try to track down an Olde English story about a young couple walking by the grave of a fallen soldier and the story this soldier tells from his grave. I found it very striking and moving and while it's not fully analogous to this situation, there's enough of a thread there that I think it's very beneficial to share, as it provides a different perspective on what it means to sacrifice.
                      "So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by dave lukins View Post
                        Steve, I have seen pictures and a mobile film of him, prior to 'the incident', of him lying in a state of stupor in a doorway being encouraged by other students to drink yet more. How he stood up is a fete on its own. I'm not making excuses for him. If I had been there he would be eating most of his meals through a straw for weeks to come. I also feel that the "friends" who took the photo's had a responsibility to stop him.
                        Thats why i said ,others should bare some blame .Including landlords of pubs
                        Last edited by tankie; 26 Nov 09,, 19:40.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          C'mon now, prison is pretty harsh for someone being stupid. What he did was incredibly disrespectful, but in the end he was just being a stupid, drunk kid.

                          A more fitting "punishment" would be to make him serve a sting in the military. I bet he'd learn a little more respect then... though it probably wouldn't help him to sober up...

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by DPrime View Post
                            C'mon now, prison is pretty harsh for someone being stupid. What he did was incredibly disrespectful, but in the end he was just being a stupid, drunk kid.
                            Yes of course , no,one on hear has asked for him to be jailed , it was a qoute from the judge who obviously felt very stongly about it , and is basically attacking the drinking culture in the UK ;)
                            Last edited by tankie; 26 Nov 09,, 19:01.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by S-2 View Post
                              "Steve, I have seen pictures and a mobile film of him, prior to 'the incident', of him lying in a state of stupor in a doorway being encouraged by other students to drink yet more."

                              Understand. He WAS that fcuked up to be completely incoherant.

                              Yeah, I concur. His friends need to take the hit at least as hard as him. Those aren't friends and he'd be wise to lose that crowd in a hurry.
                              What really pisses me off Steve ,is the fact that that bunch of morons have the opportunity to be able to live as they do from the sacrifice of others .And if some upstanding citizen had given a well deserved slap , they would have been charged .
                              Last edited by tankie; 26 Nov 09,, 19:30.

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