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October 13, 2004 UTV Live
A Belfast judge today praised a have-a-go-hero pensioner who wrestled an
armed robber to the ground.
Crown Court Judge Norman Lockie praised the
70-year-old as he jailed 28-year-old former soldier Richard David McCarten for 11 years after he agreed to spend a further
year on probation after his release. Earlier the judge had
heard that the plucky pensioner managed to hold McCarten
in a headlock despite his loaded pistol going off. Prosecution lawyer Peter Magill told
the court that a Securicor guard was delivering a cash box to a bank on the
Belmont Road in east Belfast when McCarten demanded
"give me the f****** box" and pointed the modified pistol at him. He said that as McCarten left he turned to face the guard and again
threatened him with the gun but added that as he went to walk away, the
pensioner grabbed him in a headlock with McCarten
declaring "I`ll shoot you, I`ll shoot you," and pointing the gun at
his chest. He said that during the course of the struggle, the pensioner did
receive injuries to his nose and eye as well as severe bruising to his left
leg and side.
October
16, 2003 Irish Times
The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) has called on the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, to state his intentions with regard to
private prisons. Its executive director, Mr
Rick Lines, along with a UK expert on private prisons, Mr
Stephen Nathan, met officials from the Department of Justice yesterday to
discuss their concerns. "The international evidence of prison privatisation shows that overall these schemes have
failed to deliver on the promise of more cost-effective and efficient
prisons," said Mr Nathan. Speaking to
journalists before meeting Department officials, he said there was no
evidence that private prisons reduced recidivism, and in many cases they
experienced more problems than public prisons. They have been characterised by staff shortages and inadequate programmes for prisoners. He said there was an
incentive to save money on food in private prisons.
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