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London Rioters: 'showing The Rich We Do What We Want'


waerth

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I don't know why the USA crowd is so considered about the London riots when we in the USA have been having similar riots in Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Cleveland?

 

Actually they don't give a shit. Generally you won't find much reporting about foreign politics in US media. There is nearly nothing in the daily news on events outside the USA - except foreign news in relationship to the US. Which means, if now a US right wing columnist writes about the UK it is not out of genuine intersted, but for to (mis)use it for internal US politics. Of course liberal columnists like Paul Krugman of the NYT do the same...

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The model, the Facebook joker and the schoolgirl: The very modern face of the British rioter

 

 

 

Young and attractive, they hardly conform to the identikit image of the violent looter.

 

But the 22-year-old model and two teenage girls pictured here were among those arrested in the riots.

 

The model, Shonola Smith, wept yesterday as she was jailed for six months for looting an Argos store in Croydon.

 

She was arrested with her sister Alicia and their 22-year-old friend Donness Bissessar when police stormed the building on Monday night.

 

When Alicia Smith was arrested she was carrying ten packs of chewing gum that she had stolen from a nearby Kwik Stop convenience store on the same day. She admitted theft.

 

All three, who had no previous convictions, received the same sentence after pleading guilty at Croydon magistrates’ court to entering the store with intent to steal. They broke down in tears as they were led to the cells.

 

District Judge Robert Hunter said: ‘The tragedy is that you are all of previous good character, each of you well educated.

 

'However, I can’t ignore the context in which these offences were committed. You have played your part in a wider act where devastation was caused to businesses and local residents.

 

'In my view, although I’m retaining jurisdiction, the matter is so serious that only a custodial sentence will suffice. That, I hope, will serve as a deterrent to others.'

 

Clad in identical prison issue clothes, all looked downcast in the dock as they exchanged glances with their parents in the public gallery.

 

Their lawyer told the court: 'I was taken by surprise. Talking to them and recently talking to their families, they come across as perfectly ordinary, reasonable, dare I say it civilised young women.

 

'Their parents have found it really very hard to fathom what’s going on. They have accepted their guilt, there’s no doubt that they are remorseful.

 

'They all work. If it all kicked off again tonight I don’t for one second think you would find these ladies anywhere near.'

 

Elsewhere, teenager Hollie Bentley could face jail after allegedly posting an invitation to start a riot. Bentley, 19, is accused of posting ‘Who’s up for it?’ on Facebook.

 

Though there was no rioting in her hometown of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, she was arrested on suspicion of encouraging violent disorder and if found guilty she could be sent to jail.

 

On Facebook Bentley jokingly claims she studied at Harry Potter’s school for magicians, Hogwarts, and lives in the Playboy mansion. She says: ‘I’m Hollie. I’m a bum. I do nothing. I’m lazy. But I’m working on that. I’m simple. I look cute and innocent. But I’m not.’

 

On her Myspace site, the teenager – who is due to face magistrates in Wakefield in a fortnight – listed her mood as ‘depressed’.

 

The second teenager, a 14-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, faces four counts of burglary after being charged with stealing clothes from H&M, CDs from HMV and perfume from Boots during the London riots. She was bailed to face Haringey Youth Court next week.

 

 

 

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The model, the Facebook joker and the schoolgirl: The very modern face of the British rioter

 

 

 

Young and attractive, they hardly conform to the identikit image of the violent looter.

 

But the 22-year-old model and two teenage girls pictured here were among those arrested in the riots.

 

The model, Shonola Smith, wept yesterday as she was jailed for six months for looting an Argos store in Croydon.

 

She was arrested with her sister Alicia and their 22-year-old friend Donness Bissessar when police stormed the building on Monday night.

 

When Alicia Smith was arrested she was carrying ten packs of chewing gum that she had stolen from a nearby Kwik Stop convenience store on the same day. She admitted theft.

 

All three, who had no previous convictions, received the same sentence after pleading guilty at Croydon magistrates’ court to entering the store with intent to steal. They broke down in tears as they were led to the cells.

 

District Judge Robert Hunter said: ‘The tragedy is that you are all of previous good character, each of you well educated.

 

'However, I can’t ignore the context in which these offences were committed. You have played your part in a wider act where devastation was caused to businesses and local residents.

 

'In my view, although I’m retaining jurisdiction, the matter is so serious that only a custodial sentence will suffice. That, I hope, will serve as a deterrent to others.'

 

Clad in identical prison issue clothes, all looked downcast in the dock as they exchanged glances with their parents in the public gallery.

 

Their lawyer told the court: 'I was taken by surprise. Talking to them and recently talking to their families, they come across as perfectly ordinary, reasonable, dare I say it civilised young women.

 

'Their parents have found it really very hard to fathom what’s going on. They have accepted their guilt, there’s no doubt that they are remorseful.

 

'They all work. If it all kicked off again tonight I don’t for one second think you would find these ladies anywhere near.'

 

Elsewhere, teenager Hollie Bentley could face jail after allegedly posting an invitation to start a riot. Bentley, 19, is accused of posting ‘Who’s up for it?’ on Facebook.

 

Though there was no rioting in her hometown of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, she was arrested on suspicion of encouraging violent disorder and if found guilty she could be sent to jail.

 

On Facebook Bentley jokingly claims she studied at Harry Potter’s school for magicians, Hogwarts, and lives in the Playboy mansion. She says: ‘I’m Hollie. I’m a bum. I do nothing. I’m lazy. But I’m working on that. I’m simple. I look cute and innocent. But I’m not.’

 

On her Myspace site, the teenager – who is due to face magistrates in Wakefield in a fortnight – listed her mood as ‘depressed’.

 

The second teenager, a 14-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, faces four counts of burglary after being charged with stealing clothes from H&M, CDs from HMV and perfume from Boots during the London riots. She was bailed to face Haringey Youth Court next week.

 

 

 

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Riot police frustrated by mixed messages

 

LONDON: The pledge by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, of a ''zero tolerance'' crackdown on rioting thugs has been met with a warning from senior police officers that politicians are sending mixed messages.

 

Scotland Yard's acting Commissioner, Tim Godwin, said there had been ''inconsistency'' from ministers over how tough the police were expected to be following allegations of heavy-handedness during the G20 protests in 2009. ''The views we are hearing now are slightly different to those,'' he said.

 

More than 2140 people have been arrested, of whom about 1000 have been charged. Mr Godwin said he expected about 3000 people to face court over the riots.

 

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/riot-police-frustrated-by-mixed-messages-20110814-1isyd.html#ixzz1V3l12M6Q

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