Soft Sentencing by Hartlepool Magistrates

[tankerville]

I wrote some time ago about sentences handed out by Scarborough magistrates court they were totally different and very much harsher than our magistrate's court.

Tonight's Hartlepool Mail.

Assaulting a police officer & drunk / disorderly in James Cook hospital the same day  fined £25.00 +

Possession of heroin fined £25.00 +

I think they have lost the plot.

[not4me]

Totally by the look of it

[The Great Dictator]

Both should carry a custodial sentence..

[Jamescampbell78]

Any context on the assault? £25 does seem a bit soft for the possession.

Would be interested on the mitigation offered.

Why was this heard in Hartlepool if the offence was in Middlesbrough?

[Inspector Knacker]

Where they arrested in Hartlepool but subsequently taken to James Cook for treatment...?

[Jamescampbell78]

Possibly, depends how hard the police officer hit them. Minor injuries should have gone to North Tees. James Cook is for major trauma.

Suppose we wouldn't have this question if we still had a hospital.

[Inspector Knacker]

Possibly, depends how hard the police officer hit them. Minor injuries should have gone to North Tees. James Cook is for major trauma.

not necessarily.... to both points.

[not4me]

Possibly, depends how hard the police officer hit them. Minor injuries should have gone to North Tees. James Cook is for major trauma.

Suppose we wouldn't have this question if we still had a hospital.

No wonder I'm confused. I thought minor injuries where for One Life and Trauma was for North Tees?

At this rate, give it a year and Minor Injuries will be for James Cook and Trauma will be Leeds Infirmary.

[Inspector Knacker]

So does one life specialise in spelks, bee stings and Chinese burns now........?

[Jamescampbell78]

The way I understand it:

One life: Minor but urgent stuff that does not qualify as an emergency. Such as non-life threatening stuff like bumps, scrapes, possible breaks and sprains.

North Tees: Proper accident and emergency stuff, more serious cuts, breaks that are obvious to the observer like foot the wrong way round, potential concussions, breathing difficultuties etc

James Cook: Serious burns, road accident type injuries such as compound fractures, bones sticking out of body, obvious internal bleeding, heart attacks and suchlike.

This is just the way I've read it talking to medical professionals and to be honest if they made it clear to the general public what you are expected to take where there would probably be a lot less inappropriate traffic at each location with the outcome of waiting time reductions, better use of resource etc.

Give it one year and the whole shebang will be privately owned and you won't have to bother going unless you can afford it or have adequate insurance.

That's by the by though. Why would the case of an offence committed in Boro be heard at Hartlepool?

In terms of the magistrates, I used to know one, think she's retired now. Wonderful lady, had her finger right on the pulse but often had hands tied by guidelines. Normally the mitigation presented can change the way they have to deal with a case.

It's the same in civil cases. District Judges who I deal with regularly often make judgments that run counter to the way they would wish to are made because of precedent or interpretation of a guideline issued generally.

[mk1]

That's by the by though. Why would the case of an offence committed in Boro be heard at Hartlepool?

One possible way. Man picked up in Hartlepool and  gets taken to hospital. Whilst there assaults Hartlepool escort bobby.

[Inspector Knacker]

This is just the way I've read it talking to medical professionals and to be honest if they made it clear to the general public what you are expected to take where there would probably be a lot less inappropriate traffic at each location with the outcome of waiting time reductions, better use of resource etc.

the locatipn is the problem.......no one is going to North Tees or James Cook on a whim leaving us with the One Life.... a glorified tourist information bureau for treatment... so those with wheels cut the middle man out, bypass the one life and go straight to  a proper facility...those without face a long journey .
As regards inappropriate traffic or as we like to call it too many punters...this is the inevitable result of closing A&E depts.

[Jamescampbell78]

Agree too many punter is caused by closing A+E's.

That's the overarching plan, make NHS look s**t so the only viable solution becomes privatisation. Cue massive profits for private companies, on the boards of which (and in many other senior/beneficiary positions) are politicians of all parties.

While we still had more A+E's open emergency staff I know were telling me that the biggest problem they faced was people using A+E as a drop in for minor ailments.

MK - I get that the arrest may have been made in Hartlepool and the assault on the escort in James Cook. But why the need the for treatment all the way over there? Given there's a possession charge involved it could be a number of scenarios from suspect swallows the lot to avoid arrest, overdoses requiring hospital treatment, while there becomes delirious and assaults officer under the influence to officer was overly zealous during arrest, defendent needs treatment and gets arsey and has a revenge attack at officer in hospital.

You can't compare the Redcar case with the Hartlepool one as like for like without knowing the circumstances.

[steveL]

One Life is Privately owned - Virgin to be precise. Not sure what the arrangement is; perhaps the Minor Injuries Unit pays rent to the owners who split any profit 50/50 with the doctors practice.

[notenoughsaid]

   Regarding the venue of trial discussion does anybody know the name of the defendant? It could be a "prominent person in the community" involved and the case was switched. As in the case of McLuckie to Newcastle, happens all of the time.   In any event what is the hassle.Like young offenders cases  being switched to the Boro this month it will only be a matter of time until we lose our courts altogether. This is the first time I have posted a negative and pessimistic reply on here. Must be a sign of things to come.   I hope not!!!!!