Albion Sinking, II
White River School Teacher Attacked in Scotland, Principal Says
That was the headline this morning, as Mark Davis reported on the pipe-whacking given to Marty Layman-Mendonca, 57, of WRJ, Vermont, allegedly by Colin Ross, 34, as she was hiking in the Scottish Highlands. Layman-Mendonca (hereafter referred to as LM) is currently in critical condition at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. Ross has been charged with attempted murder by police for his attack upon LM in Abriachan, south of Inverness. This crime was documented here in the Valley Pravda but was locally noted in The Herald.
Apparently British efforts at instituting pipe-control legislation is lagging behind gun, knife, pen, pencil, and foul language control laws... Perhaps a terse diplomatic note from US Socialist Congressman Bernie Sanders (D-VT) (who is certain to include "This is outrageous!" at least twice in said note), to his pals in Labour shall get them off their collective duffs in completing their complete confiscation of every Constitutional liberty remaining (except of course, for the liberty of career criminals to beat and rob law abiding citizens).
I'm sure Mr. Ross is a victim of society. According to The Sun's 11 June 2003 edition, a Colin Ross (then 32) of East Kilbride (how fitting), bombarded a female doctor with chilling death threats and abusive phone calls, when he told Dr Marie Devanney in a message on her answering machine he would follow her and stab her, claiming that she caused the depression he had previously suffered from.
Here we have apparently one more example of a repeated criminal, loose on the streets of Britain, reoffending only three years after his last known violent offense.
I don't know if this Colin Ross is related to the Colin Ross who was famously tried for murder in 1922 in Britain, or to the Liberal Democrat MP (Wolverhampton South West) of the same name.
In any event, I don't know if the British will respond to this attack like Americans once responded to the Willie Horton affair, or do anything to restore the British people to their rights to defend themselves against armed attackers with deadly force. I hope something positive comes of it all.... I suspect if Ms. LM had defended herself, we'd be seeing her in chains and Mr. Ross being apologized to profusely for interference in his tradecraft...
UPDATE:
- Albion Sinking IV: British Big Brother Bullies Bronx
- Albion Sinking IV: British Big Brother Bullying Bronx
- Albion Sinking, III: Colin Ross Guilty, Layman-Mendonca Recovering
BACKDATE:
posted by Mike Lorrey at 7:15 PM
10 Comments:
Why on earth would she be hiking with a gun? You obviously know nothing about her or what she was doing on the trail. I can't believe you even wrote this.
I always hike with a gun, as should any responsible citizen. Particularly in Britain, in which assaults, muggings, robberies, and rapes are higher than in the US. Despite extensive gun-control, knife-control (though, curiously, no pipe control laws), and anti-social behavior control laws (it is a crime to defend yourself over there), crime is skyrocketing, even gun crime, as criminals know that the law abiding citizenry is disarmed.
What is more interesting is that, even though I reported the fact that Mr. Colin Ross is a repeat offender, to my local paper, the Valley News, they spiked that part of the story, even on later updates on the story, even after I called them up on it. The reporter is claiming the police won't confirm my assertions (despite news articles online from 2003 to this effect). This is part of a pattern, in that police are now refusing to comment on the criminal records of offenders in order to avoid the public embarassment at regularly releasing violent criminals back into society.
If you want this man to get a fair trial and proper sentencing, I suggest you stop trying to interfere for the time being. And way to blame the victim, by the way.
Fake user 123generic (probably the same fake user as "asdf", above), since when does public knowledge of this man's past offenses impede him obtaining a fair trial? If the evidence proves him guilty, the prior offenses are necessary to sentencing, and the people have a right to know how pathetic their judicial system is at keeping violent criminals behind bars, while at the same time punishing people who defend themselves against criminals (like poor Mr. Martin).
I am hardly blaming the victim in this case, I am blaming British government for its heinous victim-disarmament laws.
That being said, any person who refuses to take affirmative actions to enable their self defense against crime is externalizing their costs onto the rest of society. In this case, the victim is legally disabled from doing so by the atrocious British legal system, and, not even being a British subject, is not a voter so cannot hold any blame whatsoever.
Your poor reading comprehension on this point ought to be remedied.
I am not arguing with all of your logic, but you are showing ignorance of the British legal system. I agree, things are less than stellar over here. I want this man to get the maximum sentence. If he is portrayed in a negative light, and details of past criminal history, if any, are put in the papers, then he can claim slander and the trial can be deemed unfair. I am not making this up! I don't agree with it either because I think that in order to properly judge this crime, past history would be helpful, but in Scotland that is considered "unfair". That is why I am suggesting that you let it rest, at least until after the trial.
But is tolerating that sort of bogosity in the Scottish legal system right? There is such a significant rash of repeat offenders being let loose with minor sentences only to commit worse crimes, including illegal aliens being let loose rather than being deported, that they only way the system will change is if the people are aware of how screwed up this is so they can do something about it.
Unless people stand up and make a stink about it, it will not change. Particularly in this case: he may not have killed her, but she is so badly disabled, in a permanent coma, she might as well be dead. Yet, he'll likely get a sentence of no more than 3-5 years spent in some country club with pshrinks and all the nanny state perks.
Nobody will get riled up about the systems flaws unless a heinous criminal like this manipulates the system to get out to offend again.
I totally agree. If you have any suggestions how normal people over here, like myself, can do something more to change the system I would be interested to hear them. I am determined to get involved now.
Well, its not biased to say that he is a prior violent offender. I can do that here, cause I'm in the US, so claiming that my blog is biasing the Scottish jury pool is purely bogus. At the same time, any reporter who has written articles on this should be contacted to make sure they are aware of Mr. Ross' prior record and that the cops are keeping mum about it.
This also shouldn't be treated as an isolated incident. There are a number of other instances in just the past year where criminals have been let loose to offend again.
Claims that the British penal system actually rehabilitates its inmates should be exposed as false: publicize actual recidivism rates (and not just whether released convicts commit the same crime they were previously incarcerated for, but for any crime), and compare them to other countries (especially 3rd world countries) penal systems.
Agitate for sentencing reform: three strikes laws, lengthened sentencing, and mandatory minimum sentencing. Identify judges who have a record of light sentencing and releasing violent criminals on technicalities, and seek to have them impeached or otherwise removed from office.
I suppose that this is a satirical blog, but as this is my mother you are flaunting about; I take great offense. Hikers do NOT carry guns in America, nor do they carry ropes, grenades, bows, machetes, or any other weapon. Hikers bring with them into the woods their basic needs of survival in the elements. This is a freak incident. The person in question is NOT an element of nature. Find some positive way to promote weapons in Britain and avoid leaching drama from a situation where it is irrelevent and irreverant.
Well, Mr. Meigs-McDonald, but I'm an American, and I do hike with a gun, as do many other people here who take personal responsibility for their self defense.
No, this isn't a satirical blog, and I am very sorry for your loss and our prayers are with you and your mother, but this incident was not a freak incident: Mr. Ross is a repeat offender and the police are coddling him and refusing to disclose these facts to the public.
If you want to get angry at anybody or anything, get angry at the British legal system, that gives criminals a "fair go" and imprisons law abiding people who dare to defend themselves against hoodlums.
I have attempted to inform the Valley News about Mr. Ross being a repeat offender, provided documentation of an article from the Sun from 2003, but even they are refusing to publish these important facts of the case.
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