digg

Facebook Connect Join Digg About
See the original image at news.bbc.co.uk

Man Banned From Going to The Pub After Killing His Wife

news.bbc.co.uk — A judge has told a Glasgow pensioner that stopping him going to the pub was a "more meaningful" sentence than a prison term for killing his wife. He strangled her with a tie after refusing to give him money to go out drinking.

Who dugg this? Made popular Aug 5, 2008

Digg DudeWhat is Digg?

Digg is a place for people to discover and share content from anywhere on the web. Digg surfaces the best stuff as submitted and voted on by the community. Take the Tour to learn more.

97 Comments

show profanity settings
expand all
  • mscaprikell, on 08/04/2008, -2/+45I'm a bit torn here... I understand that dementia in the prison system requires more "care" than should be provided; but to only limit this man for a YEAR? I guess that's how long they are anticipating the disease to fully set in... at which point, sentences mean nothing. Still seems like an escape of responsibility/accountability.
  • ironeus, on 08/04/2008, -4/+42This is INSTEAD of serving prison time?!? and not even all day just "between 1100 and 2300 BST" oh man, that is getting off EASY. big deal, no pub -- he can get his hops on the outside.
  • casspa, on 08/04/2008, -2/+19One of the most bizarre sentences I've ever heard of.
  • KostisGR, on 08/05/2008, -2/+17Was his name Andy Capp?
  • mickstephenson, on 08/05/2008, -0/+12Agreed surely a lifetime pub ban is called for
  • AmyVernon, on 08/04/2008, -1/+13yeah, full house arrest would have been better. if this man is truly suffering from dementia, then he needs some sort of help that house arrest ain't gonna provide.
  • treedude, on 08/05/2008, -1/+13Totally thought it was going to be an Onion article...
  • lesleye, on 08/04/2008, -1/+12WTF?!?!?!?!?

    "You still go to the pub where you went with your wife. That must annoy her relatives." No, ya think?!
  • inactive, on 08/05/2008, -1/+12I work in long term care, specializing in dementia and alzheimers. Take a larger picture look at this issue, because everyone that posts here will have a loved one that will develop dementia or alzheimers in your lifetime. Why is a 74 y.o man with this diagnosis allowed to go to the pub in the first place. And pity for the family members involved??? They allowed this happen by allowing this behavior to continue and not addressing the disease. And banning this gent from the pub for a year??? Is that "Lord" ***** nuts??? I don't know what the scottish system provides for long term care, but this gent needs 24 hour supervision and either namenda, aricept, or both to treat this. And anti-psychotics won't help because this isn't a psych issue. I wish this gent well and hope he doesn't remember what he did to his loved one. And this just points to just how little people know and understand about alzheimers and dementia.
  • darkstar949, on 08/05/2008, -0/+9The man in question is also 74 years old - I wouldn't be surprised if the judge took the age in to account when coming up with the sentence. Also, he was convicted of culpable homicide which is loosely the US legal systems version of manslaughter which typically carries reduced sentences when compared to homicide.Also, another choice bit from the article - "There is a clear diagnosis of dementia setting in. It is a progressive condition and ultimately he will need 24-hour care."
  • sbcea, on 08/04/2008, -3/+11"The pensioner will be tagged and banned from leaving his home in the city's Drygate area between 1100 and 2300 BST after being found guilty of culpable homicide." ... So in Scotland, one is grounded for murder. What happens if you come in after curfew?
  • poidh, on 08/05/2008, -3/+11Ah go down't pub,
    Ah drink ten pints,
    An' ah get really plastered,
    Then ah go 'ome an' beat the wife,
    'Cause ahm a northern bastard.
  • Lucas123, on 08/04/2008, -3/+11This is a case of the state relieving itself of responsibility for this man who is likely a raging alcoholic, is becoming senile and is capable of murder when provoked. Let's hope he doesn't kill the next person who refuses him money for a drink.
  • inactive, on 08/04/2008, -14/+20When did the US start helping the Scottish run their legal system?
  • RAGEdemon, on 08/05/2008, -1/+7And what alternative would you suggest? Life imprisonment? Being Strung, drawn and quartered? Electric chair perhaps?

    The man is 74 year old about to lose his mind to dementia. Arguably equivalent to - if not worse than - a death sentence.

    Perhaps we should start killing off cripples and the mentally handicapped while we are at it.
  • MiDri, on 08/05/2008, -0/+5That's all any of us can hope for.
  • Rudegar, on 08/05/2008, -0/+5i first read it as the pub barred him for killing his wife in the pub

    which i would think ok fair
  • N3XUS, on 08/05/2008, -0/+5Seriously, he should be put in a hospital or facility for long term care if he's really that sick. He's still a danger because he ***** KILLED A PERSON. If you put everyone who killed someone and was truely guilty in jail I'm going to go out on a limb, but I'm sure you wouldn't have 2 million inmates. If you do then your problems are probably worse than America's...

    "Banned from the pub"... that's like telling a pedophile that he's banned from school areas. Plenty of other places to do his dirty work.
  • shakebabies, on 08/05/2008, -1/+6He'll be dead before the year is out anyway... probably just wanted to go out with a positive (or even) k/d.
  • darkstar949, on 08/05/2008, -0/+4You might want to go back and read the article again - the man in question doesn't have full blown dementia yet, he is just starting to make the decline into it. Also, the pity is for the family of the victim - not the convict.
  • secrity, on 08/05/2008, -0/+4Did you RTFA?
  • secrity, on 08/05/2008, -0/+4Except that it may be way too short, the punishment seems quite appropriate. It may have been more appropriate to make the house arrest last until he is put into a supervised setting for the dementia.
  • Totz83, on 08/05/2008, -1/+5Quite a sad story =(
  • inactive, on 08/05/2008, -0/+4When were these, and how old ARE you?
  • FawnDoo, on 08/05/2008, -0/+4"After living in Glasgow for a few years you begin to realize that his kind of thing is pretty normal."

    Er, no it isn't - I lived in Glasgow for 10 years (only just moved away from the city) and it isn't normal. We don't have people killing one another over drink left, right and centre. While Glasgow might have it's fair share of problems and there is obviously a criminal/antisocial element in the city (and, I admit, drinking is an issue), I don't think it's quite the murder central you're making it out to be here - it has the same problems that pretty much every major city on the planet is having to deal with.
  • sdellboy, on 08/05/2008, -0/+3"A tavern is a place where madness is sold by the bottle." Jonathan Swift
  • allancorbett, on 08/05/2008, -0/+32 pints for an alcoholic?

    You crazy Americans...
  • poidh, on 08/05/2008, -1/+4You get a Glasgow kiss.......
  • Antimatter85, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2"One of these days, Alice..."
  • Dante2005, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2But....but....A year without a pub. This is torture, its like the opposite of water boarding.
    Where is the humanity in this!!!!!
  • ilistenisee, on 08/05/2008, -1/+3i just feel sorry for him...
  • charlietuna, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2So legalize guns then.
  • localzuk, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2I can understand the idea of banning him from going out, but if he was capable of murder during an off time, he should be under 24/7 supervision. Not simple 11-11 house arrest.
  • Portagine, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2There are some fates worse than death.
  • gn0stik, on 08/05/2008, -1/+3WTF are you going on about?
  • inactive, on 08/05/2008, -1/+3If we threw everyone into prison then we'd be in the situation that America is in with over 2 million prison inmates.

    The guy is 72, according to the court he is in severe mental and physical decline. It's likely he doesn't have that many years left and he's no danger to anyone unless your dumb enough to employ him as a baby sitter. He's a lost hope, rather leave him to die alone and face his own demons.
  • jamesdew, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2Maybe people allowed him to go to the pub because they were afraid he would strangle them if they didn't
  • csplinter, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1I was with you until you started talking about "disbarring" the judge. What's he supposed to do? Did you skip over the part where the judge explained that he knew sentencing him to prison time would just be token gesture. His hands are tied. Dugg down.
  • inactive, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1can he drink at home?
  • phyx726, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1mug shot?
  • ButchersBoy, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1Amount in prison...I saw it in a newspaper a few weeks ago.
  • gn0stik, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1Is he protecting her family, or him? Scots are.... feisty.
  • lesleye, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1yes we are!!!
  • RioMo, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1Dugg dimply for this statment: "During the trial the jury heard that Flaherty said he had no recollection of the moment he THROTTLED his wife of 52 years in April last year."

  • jellygraph, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1isn't care more expensive?
  • Yonkers, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1Damnit, beat me to it.
  • haaaaey, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1here and i thought they meant when he gets out he can't go to the pub...
  • charlietuna, on 08/06/2008, -0/+1http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21530
  • jamesdew, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1amount spent on prison / no of people in prison?
  • Fetching more discussions...
    Show 51 - 100 of 100 discussions

  • Add a Comment

    Login or register to comment!
    Or, sign-in super fast with your Facebook account ...


© Digg Inc. 2009 — Content created and posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain | Terms of Use Updated | Privacy Policy
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.