To the editor:
RCMP Cpl. Monty Robinson received a one-year conditional sentence, with one month house arrest and the remainder in the community for killing a person on a motor bike then fleeing home to have two shots of vodka (according to him) in order to obstruct justice, leaving a man dying on the road even though I believe he would be trained in first aid and could have stayed to help and call for immediate assistance.
He did return later but those self-preservation minutes could possibly have made a difference.
Also, we are told the Criminal Justice Branch has decided: ‘There is no reasonable prospect of a successful Crown appeal.”
Upon reviewing some of the verdicts for those who took part in the Stanley Cup Riots I see:
• A one-month jail sentence for throwing a barricade and rocking a car.
• Five months house arrest and 150 hours community service, with the judge wanting to reduce this later to 50 hours of community service but was prohibited by his/her own laws.
• 17 months in jail for destroying a police car and smashing windows.
Even though these crimes that were committed during the riot are serious and should be dealt with accordingly, it makes one wonder if we are going back to the time of Charles Dickens where the pauper was hung for stealing a loaf of bread but the gentry, who should know and act better, were let off with just a slap on the wrist. It begs the question: Is justice equal to all or does your position in life reflect on (the judge’s) ruling?
John D. Grant,
Kelowna
