Tuesday, September 26, 2017

"Oxford student 'too bright' for prison is spared jail for stabbing boyfriend"

Via RedditLavinia Woodward, 24, who stabbed her Cambridge University boyfriend in the leg with a bread knife, was spared jail yesterday as she was commended for her “strong and unwavering determination” to address her drug addiction.

As she left the courtroom, Woodward was seen mouthing the words “thank you” to the judge as she was ushered out of the dock in tears by her family.

The decision was last night criticised by criminal justice campaigners, who said that the lenient ruling would deter men who had fallen victim to domestic abuse from coming forward.

It comes four months after Judge Ian Pringle QC described Woodward, an aspiring heart surgeon, as an “extraordinarily able young lady”, whose talents meant that a prison sentence would be “too severe”.

Standing trial in May, Woodward pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding, after she punched and stabbed Cambridge student Thomas Fairclough whilst under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

(Link to more)

8 comments:

AllenS said...

an aspiring heart surgeon

Sheeeesh!

Leland said...

So bright, she couldn't figure out the effects of alcohol and drugs on her mental capabilities. Beauty and genius is in the eye of the beholder, and this judge seems smitten. The judge may have the ability to determine intelligence as it relates to guilt, innocence and sentencing, but I doubt he has the capability to actually grasp intelligence and use it for anything of value.

ricpic said...

So here's the admission right out of the judge's mouth that justice has two tiers: one for those with "talents" and one for those without. It used to be that at least some hypocrisy - the tribute vice pays to virtue - was felt to be in order regarding "justice for all." That's over. Return to feudalism indeed.

Amartel said...

Special Patrician Exemption from Regular Rules.
(She's not actually a doctor/surgeon/credentialled elite - she's still in the chrysalis.)

William said...

Pretty women get a break in just about everything in life. Why should the criminal justice system be any different? That would be unfair and subversive. The judge was reflecting the deepest and most commonly shared values of civilization. Beauty is far rarer than justice and needs to be nurtured and protected. When she gets older and puts on a few pounds, we can jail her.

Amartel said...

Do we know she's pretty?

Amartel said...

She's "pretty". They set her up in front of a bunch of flowers and lit her nicely.

Methadras said...

I'm bright too, if I kill some leftists, can I skip prison?