Boat burgled above Watford locks

[Tuscan]

The whole thing is rather bemusing. On the one hand Mr Finch seems to me to have a solid moral code, doing minimum damage, taking only things he needs to pursue his chosen lifestyle, leaving behind valuable items which could easily be sold. I have a quiet admiration for this despite the fact that his moral code differs from mine. At least he has one, unlike the true assbreathers who torched the French tug and Carl's boat for example.

 

On the other hand theft is theft and if everyone behaved as Mr Finch does, the society he feeds on and whose help he rejects would not exist to provide him with the resources he needs to live his way of life.

 

I find it hard to be angry when the impact on my life is so minimal. Equally he must not be encouraged, hence my wasting my day reporting the crime and hanging around at the boat for police and soco to visit, take my statement, fingerprint the boat and me, etc etc when I had planned to spend the day fitting and wiring up Coasty's solar panels.

 

 

This is pretty much my view, i am glad that the damage done was minimal.

All this assumes Anthony Finch is actually the culprit in the first place, which seems likely unless he really died last year as some people report. I emailed the copper dealing with the crime asking him this, but no reply yet.

 

MtB

[Ange]

Greenie awarded to Mikey Bee for eloquently expressing my mixed feelings about Mr Finch.

[MtB]

Greenie awarded to Mikey Bee for eloquently expressing my mixed feelings about Mr Finch.

 

Fank you young lady!

 

 

MtB

[Ange]

Oo another greenie for calling me young!

[MtB]

Yay!!!!!!!!

 

Who sez flattery gets you nowhere?!

 

Hmmm. Not sure I'll get a greeenie for THAT

 

 

MtB

(Mainly coz I know you've run out now, lol!)

[Guest]

The whole thing is rather bemusing. On the one hand Mr Finch seems to me to have a solid moral code, doing minimum damage, taking only things he needs to pursue his chosen lifestyle, leaving behind valuable items which could easily be sold. I have a quiet admiration for this despite the fact that his moral code differs from mine. At least he has one, unlike the true assbreathers who torched the French tug and Carl's boat for example.

 

On the other hand theft is theft and if everyone behaved as Mr Finch does, the society he feeds on and whose help he rejects would not exist to provide him with the resources he needs to live his way of life.

 

I find it hard to be angry when the impact on my life is so minimal. Equally he must not be encouraged, hence my wasting my day reporting the crime and hanging around at the boat for police and soco to visit, take my statement, fingerprint the boat and me, etc etc when I had planned to spend the day fitting and wiring up Coasty's solar panels.

 

All this assumes Anthony Finch is actually the culprit in the first place, which seems likely unless he really died last year as some people report. I emailed the copper dealing with the crime asking him this, but no reply yet.

 

MtB

 

Pretty well put Mike -

 

But I have to to be honest and say I would feel a little less charitable if this was our boat. It is after all 'our space' and we have the right to expect that space not to be entered by somebody who is/was not invited into it. Damage is damage at the end of the day and it is still likely to end up costing people money to put things right. Theft is theft, and even if it is not a high value item in your case what right does somebody have to remove your property without your permission - none!

 

Plus the 'value' somebody attaches to something is not always based on financial cost but can be sentimental too, for example how does the thief not know that those guides were not donated to you by somebody to which you may have had a strong attachment, an elderly friend or relative for example.

 

Boats are people's homes even if it is only a temporary home in our case but a home nonetheless. So while I find some of the more 'understanding' posts in here commendable given the alleged perpetrators alleged circumstances I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to count me amongst the the more sympathetic posters if this happened to us.

[carlt]

 

So while I find some of the more 'understanding' posts in here commendable given the alleged perpetrators alleged circumstances I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to count me amongst the the more sympathetic posters if this happened to us.

I guess you may count me as one of the "understanding" posters but I would stress that I repeatedly say I have no sympathy for the individual but he is the product of a system that punishes without rehabilitation.

 

Just to send him to jail, for 40 odd years, without any attempt to address the reasons behind his crimes has led him to the point where he is institutionalised into thinking that his petty theft and cold weather internment spells are the only way he can live and prison is no punishment for him.

 

He obviously has a conscience so that would have made him ripe for rehab work, especially as he is a solitary person so he has never had a group of like minded criminals to lure him off the straight and narrow.

 

There is no justice if the perpetrator just leaves prison to return to exactly the same pattern of petty crime.

 

So, as one of the more "understanding" who believes his stay at HMP should fit the crime but also involve rehab/counselling with some hope at the end of his punishment I ask those who sneer at this "understanding"...What would you do to prevent this criminal reoffending?

[Guest]

I guess you may count me as one of the "understanding" posters but I would stress that I repeatedly say I have no sympathy for the individual but he is the product of a system that punishes without rehabilitation.

 

Just to send him to jail, for 40 odd years, without any attempt to address the reasons behind his crimes has led him to the point where he is institutionalised into thinking that his petty theft and cold weather internment spells are the only way he can live and prison is no punishment for him.

 

He obviously has a conscience so that would have made him ripe for rehab work, especially as he is a solitary person so he has never had a group of like minded criminals to lure him off the straight and narrow.

 

There is no justice if the perpetrator just leaves prison to return to exactly the same pattern of petty crime.

 

So, as one of the more "understanding" who believes his stay at HMP should fit the crime but also involve rehab/counselling with some hope at the end of his punishment I ask those who sneer at this "understanding"...What would you do to prevent this criminal reoffending?

 

I'm not 'sneering' that is an unfair accusation, and I have no easy answer to the issue otherwise I'd be Home secretary by now. I'm just saying how I (and Jan) would feel if our boat was occupied in this way and things stolen from the boat. We all are different and react differently to how we would feel about our personal space being invaded. just as people who have fallen on hard times all respond differently.

 

There may be a lot of things wrong with 'the system' but I certainly don't see my home, my boat or my property as providing compensation for any inadequacies in it..

[carlt]

 

I'm not 'sneering' that is an unfair accusation,

 

There may be a lot of things wrong with 'the system' but I certainly don't see my home, my boat or my property as providing compensation for any inadequacies in it..

I wasn't accusing you, just responding to your post and addressing the ones that sneer at the same time.

 

I don't quite understand your second point...compensation?

 

The fact is the system doesn't care about perpetrator or victim and a wasted life shouldn't be "compensation" for its inadequacies either.

[Guest]

I wasn't accusing you, just responding to your post and addressing the ones that sneer at the same time.

 

I don't quite understand your second point...compensation?

 

The fact is the system doesn't care about perpetrator or victim and a wasted life shouldn't be "compensation" for its inadequacies either.

 

I mean that just because somebody has been let down by the system that it is not a reason for them to feel they can just take what they like from me without my knowledge or permission, almost as if its their 'right'.

 

I'd happily do what I knowingly could to help, but for someone to just think they have the right to forcibly enter a boat, sleep on it, steal food and belongings without the owners permission is simply wrong.

[carlt]

 

 

 

I'd happily do what I knowingly could to help, but for someone to just think they have the right to forcibly enter a boat, sleep on it, steal food and belongings without the owners permission is simply wrong.

and, as I repeatedly state, I believe that any criminal should be held responsible for his actions, whatever his background or however much the system has failed him.

 

Rewarding him with a spell in jail, during the depths of winter is not, in my opinion, holding him responsible but merely perpetuating the problem.

 

I honestly believe it is too late for Finch and he will be found dead on the towpath one day (or worse, on somebody's boat) but there will be (and already are) plenty more like him.

 

My first thought, when my friend rang me to tell me that Usk was alight, was that Finch had sought shelter and managed to set fire to the boat in a drunken stupor and I was greatly relieved when it was established that two youths were seen running from the boat and nobody was hurt.

 

The future is bleak for Finch and his ultimate punishment for his crimes is either a cold lonely death on the towpath, in prison or on somebody's boat.

 

What a sorry waste..

[MtB]

The investigating officer has replied rather inconclusively regarding Mr Finch's reported demise.

 

He said something along the lines of as far as Northants Police are aware he is still alive, but given these reports they will make further enquiries.

 

MtB

[Nightwatch]

It was I who first brought up the possibly of Mr Finch meeting his maker, after a casual chat with someone at a boat broker.

 

It will be interesting to know for sure, one way or another.

 

Boats seem to be in favour for these horrible nasty people who have the belief that they can enter someone's private property and cause all the upset that goes with as the result.

 

Carl makes very good points about Mr Finch and I agree with him with regard to the prison not being the answer to Mr Finch and his life style. I also have the opinion that there is no 'fix' in his case.

 

Not everyone's favourite, but after getting clean from alcohol and drugs, Russell Brand (and others of course) has/have very clear views on what should be done for convicted burglars and thieves feeding their addictions. Treat the addiction and probably the want/need to commit crime will go away.

 

Martyn.

Edited June 12, 2013 by Nightwatch

[mark99]

Whats wrong with stocks and stoning?

[carlt]

I also have the opinion that there is no 'fix' in his case.

 

There may have been, though, when the "offend, arrest, punishment, release, reoffend" cycle started, though.

 

It is possible to break the cycle (for others, too late for Finch) but there has to be some "rehabilitation" inserted during and after the "punishment" phase.

Edited June 12, 2013 by carlt

[Yellowback]

Whats wrong with stocks and stoning?

 

Nothing at all, I agree totally with your idea of stoning stockbrokers and holders. Please advise of proposed date and location so board members can arrange to have sufficient bricks to hand.

[carlt]

Whats wrong with stocks and stoning?

Adoption of Sharia law may be met with some opposition from the Right Wing "Hang 'em and Flog 'em" brigade.

 

Don't you just love irony?

Edited June 12, 2013 by carlt

[Nightwatch]

There may have been, though, when the "offend, arrest, punishment, release, reoffend" cycle started, though.

 

It is possible to break the cycle but there has to be some "rehabilitation" inserted during and after the "punishment" phase.

i agree, honestly, I agree.

Martyn

[Chris Pink]

There may have been, though, when the "offend, arrest, punishment, release, reoffend" cycle started, though.

 

It is possible to break the cycle but there has to be some "rehabilitation" inserted during and after the "punishment" phase.

The arty-farty liberal in me was surprised, not to say shocked, this morning while listening to a report on Brixton prison where a month's hard labour mean't 12 hours on a treadmill driving the millstones to make the prison bread flour, thinking that it would sort out not a few petty crims.

[carlt]

.... a month's hard labour mean't 12 hours on a treadmill driving the millstones to make the prison bread flour, thinking that it would sort out not a few petty crims.

At least all that exercise will come in handy when they next have to leggit from the rozzers.

 

One way of keeping them out of prison even if it doesn't stop them reoffending.

[MtB]

Whats wrong with stocks and stoning?

 

The risk you are stocking and stoning the wrong bloke, or woman.

 

I'm surprised you had to ask.

 

 

MtB

[Trento]

If this topic goes on much longer. We will be demanding Finch begiven the MBE for services to boating and crime prevention.

 

The guys a thief... End of

[mark99]

 

The risk you are stocking and stoning the wrong bloke, or woman.

 

I'm surprised you had to ask.

 

 

MtB

I'm suprised you thought I was making a sensible suggestion.

 

Well done for not losing it btw. I might have done.

Edited June 12, 2013 by mark99

[carlt]

If this topic goes on much longer. We will be demanding Finch begiven the MBE for services to boating and crime prevention.

 

The guys a thief... End of

You obviously haven't read the topic.

 

Nobody is praising him for his actions but some just see beyond the "End of".

[Trento]

You obviously haven't read the topic.

 

Nobody is praising him for his actions but some just see beyond the "End of".

 

Obviously I have read the topic, obviously so.