Morning:
5°c
Jail for man who threw eggs at Tory peer Baroness Warsi
29 Jul 2010A 23-year-old man was found guilty today of pelting eggs at a Tory peer.
Baroness Warsi, now chairwoman of the Conservative Party, was visiting Luton last November when she was attacked.
Gavin Reid, of Green Close, Luton, was sentenced to six weeks in prison at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court today after being found guilty of an offence under the Public Order Act.
Magistrate Elizabeth Roscoe said: "Throwing eggs goes beyond legitimate political protest and is quite clearly disorderly behaviour and it is also threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour."
Reader views (22)
@ Rogan, Irving
Umm ... she didn't have that position when she got egged.
Blair, Lady Mandy and many other public figures have been hit with some innocuous ammunition. I do not however remember anyone being jailed or even prosecuted for these actions.
Why was there a prison sentence involved in this particular case? Perhaps you look to the creed, colour, gender and race of the target to understand.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 30/07/2010 09:22
Report abuse
It's either ok to throw things at people, or it isn't. Choose - but choose well. What's good for one instance is good for all.
As for her getting special consideration because she's Muslim and a high ranking Tory? In an age when the more elevated their rank, the better a (high profile) target they are for everyone from dozy protesters like this guy, to suicide bombers. Comparing her attack to that on Joe blow in the street is just making pretty feeble excuses for someone assaulting a Tory leader who, even better from their perspective apparently, is a Muslim. She wouldn't have known if the attack was meant to be lethal or not, until it was over. That is part of the life she lives. Joe blow would think only in terms of assault - he certainly wouldn't be looking over his shoulder wondering if he was going to be targeted by the nearest available cowardly ambusher on a daily basis.
If you want the rulings to be the same for everyone then demand that everyone gets the same protection under the law, not ridiculing someone who was a victim of assault, just because of her position.
- Rogan, Irving, 30/07/2010 06:30
Report abuse
An asian and a baroness - He got off lucky.
She had the chance to not prosecute but she thinks she is special. Many real politicians would have laughed it off.I got Tangoed in south london and the police just laughed though my mobile phone was destroyed as was a CD with my life's photos on it . One for the asian rich I think. Thank god Ive left england
- Terry, Hennebont France, 29/07/2010 20:41
Report abuse
An asian and a baroness - He got off lucky.
She had the chance to not prosecute but she thinks she is special. Many real politicians would have laughed it off.I got Tangoed in south london and the police just laughed though my mobile phone was destroyed as was a CD with my life's photos on it . One for the asian rich I think. Thank god Ive left england
- Terry, Hennebont France, 29/07/2010 20:40
Report abuse
i had a series of eggs thrown at me by someone taking part in a pro-Gaza protest, who was just throwing them at random passersbys in the street, because he erroneously thought we were coming out of the Israeli embassy. It was like being punched hard, cos the egg cracked against my head - the woman next to me thought she'd been shot. It's a really frightening thing, cos you don't know what it is or where it's coming from, at the beginning - I'm not surprised this guy's gone to jail. Totally deserves it.
- Kate, London, UK, 29/07/2010 17:27
Report abuse
Just why did he receive this level of sentence was it because he threw an egg,because she is a woman, because she was Chairman of the Conservative party or because she is very wealthy.
- Mike Melbourne, Bedford, 29/07/2010 17:10
Report abuse
Not quite sure who the "yoke" is on? He's fried and jailed for 6 weeks! Somebody should help un-scramble the Judges hard boiled brain. Obviously took only 4 minutes to cook this one or maybe he poached it from another of his friends sitting on the Bench. Seems like he forgot to crack the question "What came first the chicken or the egg?"
- peter, Vienna, Austria, 29/07/2010 17:04
Report abuse
Another politically motivated sentence.
If Gavin Reid had struck the almighty baroness with a baton from behind and then he had shoved the said baroness on the floor, just like that thug in a police outfit did to Mr Tomlinson, instead of merely throwing an egg at her, he would be a free man today.
The justice system in this country stinks!
- John Smith, Londonistan, Third World Britain, EUSSR, 29/07/2010 15:13
Report abuse
I'd bet a penny to pound that if it was a ethnic or muslim member of the public throwing an egg at a white politician nothing would have been done! Im just surprised it wasn't classed as a race hate crime seeing as it was thrown at a muslim!
- Paul McCarthy, Barton upon Humber, Nth Lincs, 29/07/2010 14:54
Report abuse
Hey as long as they were free range eggs, no worries
- John, Down under, 29/07/2010 13:58
Report abuse
That bloke with Prescott, the "protestor" smashed the egg in his face from close range, it was closer to being punched. Then Prescott understandably punched him. He was in the right on that occasion. How many men would get hit in the face by a foreign object by a grown man from that range would not have reacted?
And the bloke who threw the egg at Warsi was an idiot. However, jailing him for it is ridiculous.
- STG, Peckham, London, 29/07/2010 13:53
Report abuse
Didn't somebody throw eggs at the BNP idiot recently by some self obsorbed lefties?
Funny how nobody decided, "throwing eggs goes beyond legitimate political protest and is quite clearly disorderly behaviour and it is also threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour"?
Oh I see of course, the principles of Law are only applied to certain entities in our society. Justice is blind or just blind.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 29/07/2010 13:45
Report abuse
Should have gone to specsavers!
- Bennie, Kingston, 29/07/2010 12:48
Report abuse
HE should have got more it was discasful for a 23 year old to behave in the way he did.
- MAHMOOD, LONDON, 29/07/2010 12:38
Report abuse
'moron' 'amid'?? you couldn't make it up....
- Chuckles, London, England, 29/07/2010 12:25
Report abuse
....and John Prescott throwing punches at a member of the public a few years ago wasn't (well John will be John...). This hypocrisy sickens me to the core.
- Steve, London UK, 29/07/2010 12:24
Report abuse
He should have get more he is 23 years old and should now how to behave.
- MAHMOOD, LONDON, 29/07/2010 12:24
Report abuse
If those eggs had been thrown at me, everybody would have laughed, you obviously have to be designated as a Baroness before it gets serious.
- Davey_buoy, Chertsey,
I would have caught them Davey; and had them for breakfast.
- mickinlondon, london, 29/07/2010 12:20
Report abuse
Very small target, though.
- Chuck Unsworth, London, 29/07/2010 12:19
Report abuse
If those eggs had been thrown at me, everybody would have laughed, you obviously have to be designated as a Baroness before it gets serious.
- Davey_buoy, Chertsey, 29/07/2010 12:15
Report abuse
Lizzie Your behaviour is infinitly worse... go to hell
- moronamid, London England,
Having a bad hair day, Moronamid?
- mickinlondon, london, 29/07/2010 12:09
Report abuse
Magistrate Elizabeth Roscoe said: "Throwing eggs goes beyond legitimate political protest and is quite clearly disorderly behaviour and it is also threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour."
Lizzie Your behaviour is infinitly worse... go to hell
- moronamid, London England, 29/07/2010 11:55
Report abuse
