The Beast

In a society that has, at least, a debatably successful and consistent judicial system and is prone to err in favour of lenient if any sentences for theft, burglary and assault on a daily basis. What, perhaps, do you think should be done about this case?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty...rambler-prison

Pocaloca

It's mad that society is potentially so shocked by the sight of the human body God gave us, that a man who has committed no actual crime has to be locked up. It must cost the taxpayer thousands.

HBG

The article in my favourite newspaper might well be thought-provoking enough, but let's have some reality concerning this man.

I have my eight-year old grandson staying with me at the moment and if I walked down the street with him and was confronted by a naked man, who is obviously not right in the head, I would want the authorities to deal with the man in the appropriate manner, starting with his removal from a public place where his naked presence offends others.

An ordinary prison doesn't seem the appropriate place to confine him, he needs treatment, and we have places in most countries where he would receive such treatment.

If he was merely a sane naturalist, he could strip off on a nudist beach to his heart's content and nobody would bat an eyelid, but that is obviously not what he wants to do.

mikelincs

He isn't a naturalist he isn't even a naturist, he is juct a publicity hound, and loves to get arrested etc. I had the 'pleasure' of dealing with requests for comments when I was PRO for British Naturism, even people asking if we were going to help in defending him in court. I had to distance our organisation from all his activities to papres like the DM and to radio stations as well. He kept me very busy. I did hope that one of the Scottish courts would section him, but unfortuantely it didn't happen, he was arresed, served his time, walked out the prison, stripped off, was rearrested, sent down etc. this happened several tiomes in a row, and during the winter, he also refused to wear clothes in prison, so was in solitary all the time.

Pocaloca

Treatment? He's just a bit eccentric, what is the treatment for that? It would be a very boring and rather scary world if we locked up everyone who behaved erratically and didn't conform to what we regard as normal. I still don't see what actual harm he has done.

Fredbargate

Does your grandson play with toy guns?
Does he pretend to kill people?
Does he watch war / cowboy films etc?

Whats worst, teaching children about killing or love?
Is it ok to see, act out death scenes but not love scenes?

Still think the guy's a nutter it's bloody cold on the road.

The Beast

You are correct Fred.....We live in a multi-tiered world where potentially mind altering, character influencing video games based on the murder and destruction of fellow humans for absolute gain are produced ( In their millions ) and aimed at the younger and easily manipulated market base....Licences and authorizations are approved by nationwide political and judicial boards for the sale of these products for the targeted market......And this ndividual, who has passed all psychological examinations put before him and has shown on numerous occasions to be harmless....But just doesn’t conform to a stereotypical mindset or outlook, is castigated....But not on a consistent basis as shown in the article....Do we have all our priorities and goals wrong?

As to being a nutter? It really does depend on ones own perspective...

kimilseung

I am not sure why an eight year old was even brought in to the discussion.

The Beast

Re-read the thread again!

kimilseung

I am still not clear, I guess that HBG thinks a naked body is somehow more offensive to an 8 year old than to older folk. I understand that due to conventional wisdom most people do not go naked, and that it might be assumed that in many cases one has mental issues to go along with the nudity; but I have seen nowhere that this man is anything other than an eccentric. Nudity in and of itself is no genuine threat or offence to anyone 8 or older.

HBG

If people live in a world where they think it's all right for an obvious lunatic to walk about naked in public, then I'm afraid they don't live in my world.

Did you not read post 4?

And those daft comments about what does it matter if the person offended and frightened is an eight-year-old? It doesn't just show a lack of understanding, it's downright uncouth.

kimilseung

I do not know the evidence that he should be sectioned. mikelincs may be able to tell us, but in post 4 he just says he is a 'publicity hound'. (I may not have been paying enough attention to news articles, I just recall eccentricity)

I also do not know how an 8 year old would become 'offended and frightened' merely at the site of nakedness.

rugbymatt

What's mad is that he hasn't just spent some serious time inside but nearly all of it has been in solitary! Just what danger does he pose to society and the prison population that requires him to be jailed in solitary? Its also worth noting that not a single complaint has been made to the police about him, they are arresting him "in anticipation" of a complaint!

Heaven forbid he nick a bottle of water or worse still make a joke about bombing a fucking airport, they will be calling for his fucking head on a spike in London then!

mikelincs

There have actually been a number of complaints from all over the UK when he has been on his rambles through towns and cities, especially when he did his Lands End to John O'Groats walk, and it was on that one that he was first arrested, each time he was freed and bailed to appear at a later date, he had to go back from his walk to make the appearances. In England the magistrates just said 'Go away and don't do it again round here', so he left the courtroom, stripped off and carried on. but he was picked up by car to restart his walk from where he left off. It was in Scotland that he really got into trouble, not necessarily for walking naked, but he refused to be clothed in court, so he was done for 'Contempt of Court' He was deened to be 'At Risk' if he was in the normal prison population, so was kept in solitary, every time he was due to appear in court to see if he had redeemed his contempt. he stripped off again, so was jailed again. This was in Aberdeen, and he was there for some 6 months before being sent on his way, he carried on his walk, being arrested several times more. I haven't followed his antics since then as was just not interested.

Dick Dasterdly

They could always dump him out on one of those tiny uninhabited Scottish islands.
I don't suppose the sheep would be too offended, and at least he'd have something to keep him warm on a nippy Winters night.