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A judge expressed “shock” and “disgust” today as he told a student he could face jail for urinating on a war memorial.
Philip Laing, 19, was charged with outraging public decency after he was pictured urinating on a poppy wreath in Sheffield city centre following a drinking session.
District Judge Anthony Browne told Laing: “The image of your urinating over the poppy wreath on the war memorial in this city will make most turn away in disgust, shock and sadness.
It has undoubtedly distressed and upset many. The war memorial is a sacred and a special place.”
The judge also slammed Carnage UK, the company that organises pub crawls for students.
Sheffield magistrates' court heard that Laing, a sports technology student at Sheffield Hallam University, had drunk a bottle of whisky before
the Carnage event on 11 October.
Judge Browne said: “Carnage is the name of the organisation who promote this type of activity and some might say that somebody should be standing alongside you this morning.”
He acknowledged Laing's early guilty plea and said he had “no doubt whatsoever it was the vast quantity of alcohol you consumed that night that led you to behave this way” but warned that all sentencing options remained open, including prison.
The court heard that Laing, who appeared in the dock wearing a poppy on his dark suit, had no recollection of the events of the night until he was contacted by the university press office and shown the photograph, which later appeared on the Daily Mail website.
Ian Conway, prosecuting, said Laing had immediately admitted the offence and told police he was “very, very drunk, the drunkest I've ever been since I've been at university”.
Mr Conway said: “The disgusting and reprehensible act the defendant carried out was in no way premeditated, targeted or politically motivated.
His actions were sadly the result of having
consumed large amounts of alcohol.”
In mitigation, Tim Hughes said his client was “a young man caught up in a culture of drinking far too much”.
He added that Laing's grandparents had fought in the war and said the defendant had learned his lesson.
“It's difficult to articulate just how embarrassed and ashamed this young man is,” he said.
The case was adjourned for the preparation of pre-sentence reports. Laing was bailed until 26 November.
Reader views (11)
You are a vile young man, I feel for your parents!
- Amanda Messham, Burringham, North Lincolnshire
Sue, you seem to be missing the point. This fool urinated on a war memorial. Not a doorway, or in a bush, but a War Memorial.
Personally, I lost 17 members of my family during both World Wars, and the Falklands. To me, this cad's actions is an insult to their memory.
Yes, I did stupid things in my youth. But I had, and still have, the common decency and respect to know that you don't get blitzed and empty your bladder over a monument to our fallen.
- Jock, London
Jail ? No. The guy is just a drunken ejjit, nothing more.
Some form of community service order would be more appropriate - cleaning war memorials as already suggested sounds more like it.
- Doug, Barnet
- Sue, huddersfield west yorkshire said
'Heavens! has noone else done similar stupid acts in their youth?'
You speak for yourself love!
- Chris, Brighton, England
On the whole, today's students are tomorrow's professionals. Just a shame that this idiot has let his side down.
Rather than a prison sentence, he'd be better punished by being made to fight on the front line in Afghanistan for a long period of time. Then he'll realise the seriousness of his defilement.
- Nowan King, London
for goodness sake this doesn't warrant a jail sentence. He was drunk,he is young, if he was sober and had done it then it puts a whole different perspective on the matter.surely jail is for serious offenders, not this. The jails are full to bursting as it is,if he ends up 'inside' then shame on the judge who put him there.Heavens! has noone else done similar stupid acts in their youth? Come on britain cut him a bit of slack.Don't take up the courts time, not to mention how much the cost, when there are murderers, rapists,etc out there. Grow up and get over it.By the way I am no 'spring chick'.
He has said sorry, what do you want? blood?
- Sue, huddersfield west yorkshire
give him a month inside and then 11 months further, cleaning war memorials around the country. That should drive the lesson home.
Perhaps he could push some of our wounded boys and girls around in their wheelchairs too, maybe with the owners of carnage UK?
- Kerry, Purley
While I was the University of Sheffield (2004-2007) I never took part in a Carnage event and while it does actively encourage heavy drinking, students require no encouragement when it comes to getting paralytic and dressing up like a tit on a night out. I should know, I once went out dressed like a playboy bunny and woke up covered in mud.
Despicable as Mr Laing's actions were, he alone is responsible for what he did and the events company are not accountable. The outrage against this one company in particular has been stoked up by the Sun and other tabloids who send out paps to photograph legless students.
Students go out, get drunk and fall over. This is nothing new and photographing them doing it en masse in matching tee-shirts does not make it news.
- Jim, London, UK
Disgusting creature. A few weeks jail might teach him some respect for the people who gave their lives for their country.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands
Good. The idiot needs to be taught a lesson. Urinating in public is bad enough, but doing it on a war memorial is unforgivable.
- Jock, London
I have no sympathy for this man whatsoever. Being "drunk" is not really an excuse for ******* on the memory of those who died so those like him could go out on organised pub crawls so they can get so drunk the cannot remember what they did.. Lock him up and throw him off his course. Does the NUS support these organised pub crawls because as this shows it doesn't really seem to be in its member's interests does it?
- Leon, London
