Stuart Hall and other 1970s Celebs

[Doon frae Troon]

It is obvious that only a handful of victims who have made complaints in these cases.

It beggers belief just how many children were affected in total by these beasts.

 

[Pin-seeker]

..and given he is 84 yrs old that ain't gonna be that long. So is jail the mosty sensible and humane (given his age) punishment a civilised society can had out to Hall? Really. If the last offence was let's say 25 yrs ago - then you could say he is hardly a danger to society as of today - certainly wouldn't be now that he has admitted the offences. Given his age do we as a society really have to lock someone up for the rest of his life for this? Remember - the rest of his life is not 14 yrs or 20 or 30 yrs - but the rest of his life. BTW - before you jump down my throat it's a question not a plea on his behalf.

This is like saying 'you've got away with it for 25yr year so lets forget about it' sorry mate but it doesn't work like that. Ill not say what I think he deserves

 

[haplesshacker]

I agree with the OP regarding how our childhood is being dismantled. What they did is wrong, end of. However I can't help but wonder, how many more are going to be hauled up. You only need to see old editions of TOTP to see the young girls throwing themselves over the Radio 1 DJ's. Then there's the whole 'priest' thing. What the hell is going on?

What with this, the Lance Armstrong incident, and various other 'indiscretions'. I do wonder if anything we think is real, isn't.

The scary thing is watching CBBies with my kids. I hope to god that none of the presenters are going to get 'done' in 20, 30 or 40 years time.

 

[Iaing]

I don't think justice has a 'use by' date. Similar arguments arise when war criminals from WW2 are brought to justice.
They are never too old to be punished for their crimes!
He, and it seems a lot of others, have got away with it for years. I hope that the time they have left is as uncomfortable as possible.

 

[Hacker Khan]

The scary thing is watching CBBies with my kids. I hope to god that none of the presenters are going to get 'done' in 20, 30 or 40 years time.

As the great Danny baker says about news organisations, if you're not scared, we're not doing our job properly.

It's a bit silly to extrapolate the behaviour of still a very isolated number of 'celebrities' back in the 60s and 70s and assume that every person on TV is behaving in the same way today. I am sure kids are more than safe with Mr Tumble.

 

[USER1999]

Do we need to put 80 year olds in prison. As previously stated, he poses little risk now, and the cost of locking him up is daft. What is prison for? To punish, re educate, temporarily stop re offending? Difficult.

Hanging is cheap!

 

[Hacker Khan]

Do we need to put 80 year olds in prison. As previously stated, he poses little risk now, and the cost of locking him up is daft. What is prison for? To punish, re educate, temporarily stop re offending? Difficult.

Hanging is cheap!

As you say prison is there to punish, and he needs punishing. Ergo. yes he should go to prison. Cost should not be a factor.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Do we need to put 80 year olds in prison. As previously stated, he poses little risk now, and the cost of locking him up is daft. What is prison for? To punish, re educate, temporarily stop re offending? Difficult.

Hanging is cheap!

Governments have put 80 year olds in prison for not paying the Poll Tax and the Skye Bridge toll.

 

[cookelad]

Hanging is cheap!

Get a few done at the same time, bring a packed lunch! Hell we could set up various other amusement, sell tickets and make a day of it!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

My point about age is simply that the crimes he has admitted to may or may not justify a life sentence - but almost certainly that is what in effect he'll may be given. 14yrs is normal life sentence for murder - so let's say he get's that. So without early release he'd be 98 when sentence served. Even release on licence after 7yrs through 'good behaviour' then he'll still be in his early 90s. A punishment must be given, remorse is not enough. But need that punishment be a life imprisonment. Some part of me is asking if there should maybe be some room for some flexibility, humanity and a bit of good old christian forgiveness given his age. Note that I am not attempting to excuse what he has done in any way shape or form.

 

[Hacker Khan]

My point about age is simply that the crimes he has admitted to may or may not justify a life sentence - but almost certainly that is what in effect he'll may be given. 14yrs is normal life sentence for murder - so let's say he get's that. So without early release he'd be 98 when sentence served. Even release on licence after 7yrs through 'good behaviour' then he'll still be in his early 90s. A punishment must be given, remorse is not enough. But need that punishment be a life imprisonment. Some part of me is asking if there should maybe be some room for some flexibility, humanity and a bit of good old christian forgiveness given his age. Note that I am not attempting to excuse what he has done in any way shape or form.

So old people should not be sent to prison for as long as a younger person even if they committed the same crime? Is that it? In which case I can see a lucrative side line for me once I retire, a getaway driver.....

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

So old people should not be sent to prison for as long as a younger person even if they committed the same crime? Is that it? In which case I can see a lucrative side line for me once I retire, a getaway driver.....

I don't know that they shouldn't. But the answer could be yes - for some crimes in some circumstances. How many times do we hear a sentence being given starting with the words '...taking into account' - when harsher as well as more lenient setences are passed.

I'm just asking an open question on whether there might be age-related circumstances that make it possible for a civilised, notionally christian (forgiving) society to consider a reduced custodial sentence for someone of older years to prevent it from being, in effect, a life sentence - when for a younger person being given the same sentence it wouldn't be a sentence for the rest of their life. A mix of custodial and non-custodial sentencing for the balance would be a very civilised approach - and might provide some benefit to society and at much less cost.

 

[6inchcup]

what he did was wrong and he should be punished,but i keep asking myself why has it taken the victims so long to come forward and if the news is correct to-day they are seeking compensation,will their names be published prior to any court case? and should they be entitled to compensation or should having HALL in prison not payment enough,if they had come forward sooner he would have been in prison and not had the lifestyle he has had,so not able to pay compensation.just a thought.

 

[Hobbit]

I'm just asking an open question on whether there might be age-related circumstances that make it possible for a civilised, notionally christian (forgiving) society to consider a reduced custodial sentence for someone of older years to prevent it from being, in effect, a life sentence - when for a younger person being given the same sentence it wouldn't be a sentence for the rest of their life. A mix of custodial and non-custodial sentencing for the balance would be a very civilised approach - and might provide some benefit to society and at much less cost.

I see where you are coming from and from the civilised perspective agree that the thought having an old man die in prison is abhorrent.

However, let's pose another question. Stuart Hall is/was a reasonably intelligent adult when he committed the crime and in the intervening years since. Having the possibility of being found out he had the choice of own up sooner or continue to 'hide from the law.' So why didn't he own up sooner? The answer is simple, he didn't want to... his own self preservation was greater than his remorse and feelings of doing the right thing.

A jail term comensurate with the crime, and forget the guy's age just like he's not shown much consideration for his victim.

 

[bobmac]

There's one word missing from all of these discussions.
Everyone is talking about what should happen to the accused, "old man dying in jail" etc and how jail is there to punish these people for their crimes.

Jail is also a DETERRENT.
There's not much that can be done to help the victims from 40 years ago but there's a lot that can be done to DETER anyone thinking about commiting similar crimes today and in the future.

 

[Liverbirdie]

I see where you are coming from and from the civilised perspective agree that the thought having an old man die in prison is abhorrent.

However, let's pose another question. Stuart Hall is/was a reasonably intelligent adult when he committed the crime and in the intervening years since. Having the possibility of being found out he had the choice of own up sooner or continue to 'hide from the law.' So why didn't he own up sooner? The answer is simple, he didn't want to... his own self preservation was greater than his remorse and feelings of doing the right thing.

A jail term comensurate with the crime, and forget the guy's age just like he's not shown much consideration for his victim.

Totally agree with the above, otherwise some may think, if I can away with it for years I may be alright. These people have destroyed lives, they should be punished, no matter.

 

[In_The_Rough]

Stuart Hall had better get his chequebook out as he is being sued for compensation

 

[richart]

If he had been caught at the time, he would have served a long sentence at the prime of his life. Now he is likely to serve at short sentence at the fag end of it. I think he has got off lightly if he serves a 'life' sentence. We are talking about a nine year old girl here, and I can't believe anyone has any sympathy for him at all, or thinks he should not serve a sentence that fits the crime. Save your sympathy for the children.

 

[Farneyman]

Jailtime, and lots of it. No excuses. Dirty *******. End his life in jail. Scum.,

 

[williamalex1]

So old people should not be sent to prison for as long as a younger person even if they committed the same crime? Is that it? In which case I can see a lucrative side line for me once I retire, a getaway driver.....

On your invalid scooter.