General Chat

how bizarre, fancy adults talking to a child online, getting nasty and then going so far as the courts over it, what happened to good old fashioned sense

surely blocking the contact and talking to you, the parent, would have been enough, they must have very sad lives i think

i hope all goes well for your son

Linda are we talking about Police charges, or a "civil"action like what you call ASBOs over there?
If it is that, evidence is on the civil standard and there will be no finding of guilt made and no Police record for your son.

xxx mick

Sounds strange!!
An argument on a computer between 2 adults and a child ending up in court?????
One party was cautioned and not the other??
In my book it takes 2 to argue - I presume as it was on MSN, any threats were 'verbal' - no-one was stood there with a pickaxe handle.
If your son was the instigator, surely the 'adults' involved could have ignored him when he came on line, or blocked him. Different matter of course if the argument carried on in the street.
If the CPS weren't bothered, and the neighbours are taking the civil route, what are they hoping to get out of it? It will cost them money if they lose.

Hopefully the neighbours will be told to grow up!!

maggie

my thoughts exactly colin.

By the sound of it, it will get thrown out of court!!
I would have a word with your solicitor on monday, about putting a counter claim in for harassment !!

Hopefully the magistrate will accept that the caution was sufficent and throw the case out..In the couple of years in which I was a PC I attended court a few times and saw magistrates throwing cases out and lambasting the plaintiff for bringing the case and wasting court time

He was cautioned back in October. The CPS said insufficient evidence and wouldnt take it further, but the other people wouldnt let it go. I cant understand if CPS say no that it can still go to court. Even our solicitor says its a civil matter not criminal.

Magistrate courts are nowehere near as intimidating as crown courts, the magistrate does not wear gowns or wigs and neither do the legal representatives.
The Magistates will hear evidence from both sides before delivering their verdict.
Even if they decide on a guilty verdict they may decide that the case should not have got as far as court and award an absolute discharge...in other words he did what he was charged with but they are making no penalty against him at all, there is also a conditional discharge which means that again they are making no penalty other then to say that if he repeated the act and was found guilty the current hearing would also be considered in sentencing.
Going on from that there are supervision orders, probation etc.

Obviously we dont know the ins and outs of this case but I'm surprised it has reached court, usually a police caution is delivered by an inspector or above.

sounds to me Linda, that they are to thick to find the "off" button!!!!!

Thanks. I'm worried so god knows how he feels. I don't know why they didnt block him.

It the magistrate has any sense Linda, he will give the neighbours a warning! for encouraging a row with a child!!!

Thanks. They're not doing a video link. He argued with two adults and they have solicitors. He has one also. I know he shouldnt have been arguing with them but it makes you wonder who the children are in this case. Nothing better to do than argue with a 12 year old. They think he should have an ASBO!

My daughter had a gun put in her face when she 14 and had to do a video link. Annie

My son is going to court on Tuesday for having an arguement with a neighbour on MSN. Does anyone know what its like in a Magistrates Court when its children?