General Chat

Police have confirmed that the escaped prisoner nicknamed the "Skull Cracker" has been arrested and is in custody at a police station.

Kent Police said they had arrested two men, aged 55 and 53, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

The force added: "The 55 year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of being unlawfully at large."

Officers have said they were no longer looking for Michael Wheatley, who absconded from HMP Standford Hill in Kent on Saturday.

Did you know that skull cracker is an anagram of cackler lurks?

brilliant news - let's hope he no longer gets day release and is put in a secure prison, where he should have been in the first place

According to new figures released by ministers in response to a parliamentary question last week by Conservative MP Philip Davies, they show the extent of prisoners serving sentences for serious offences in open prisons.

At the end of December last year there were 4,092 prisoners serving an immediate custodial sentence in an open prison.

Some 1,227 of those prisoners had committed violence against the person. A further 1,115 had committed drug offences, 505 had a history of robbery and 215 were guilty of sexual offences.

Perhaps it should be a condition that, before any prisoner serving time for a serious offence is moved to an open prison, they should agree to be micro-chipped.

Prisoners are not sent straight to an open prison from court

no one said they were did they?

Still trying to work out that 13 life sentences equates to just 12 years and was in an open prison to prepare him for release. :-S :-S :-S :-S

I never suggested that prisoners were sent straight to an open prison from court - I said before any prisoner "serving time" for a serious offence "is moved" to an open prison.

Apologies OneFootInTheGrave - I must have misread.

There are gaping holes in the justice system in some respects but at the end of the day we do have the best in the world.

The problems start post-sentencing and that really needs addressing but at least we have a system that mostly convicts the guilty and recognises the wrongly accused - I am reminded of a recent case whereby an "acquaintance" of mine was sure that the accused was guilty and yet the court, rightly, found them to be innocent.

hopefully he has just extended his own sentence.

Our laws are so stupid...why was a man with 13 life sentences in an open b----y prison in the first place. or out on parole or whatever he was doing....the mind boggles to think he was going through the system to be ready for release....god help us!!


jude :-0 :-0 :-0 :-0

My own personal views on how this man ended up in an open prison is that, all political parties of all persuasions, have for years, used open prisons to reduce the demand on places in mainstream prisons and this is political abuse of the prison and justice system.

Unfortunately, as we have seen from other political fiasco's, the day has long past, that when an almighty cock up occurs, the relevant minister accepts that the buck stops at their desk, and they fall on their sword.

If this man was involved in the armed robbery on the Chelsea Building Society in Sunbury-on-Thames today, and it had gone dramatically wrong, people could have been killed.

Heads should roll starting with the head of the minister responsible for the prison service.

That was my first thought when he was said to be on the run - why on earth is a person with that sentence in an open prison.

Isn't it time Life meant Life, and not just a few years. I think a lot of sentences are too lenient and those for crimes regarding money etc seem to get bigger sentences than those for killing or drastically injuring someone gets just a few years.

I am glad that thug is behind bars again.

Lizx

BEFORE HE WAS CAUGHT HE ROBBED A BUILDING SOCIETY
A FEW MILE FROM ME,
WE WERE OUT IN THE CAR AND ALL OF A SUDDEN UNMARKED
POLICE CARS WITH LIGHTS ON AND SIRENS CAME FROM EVERYWHERE
HEADING FOR SUNBURY,,,,,,,,,,WONDER WHEN THEY WILL PUT HIM
IN ANOTHER OPEN PRISON,PERHAPS THEY COULD GIVE US A WARNING NEXT TIME,

Atleast the scum bag is caught and hopefully will be behind proper bars for a considerably long time.....hopefully!!

Dizzi....bet you wondered what on earth was going on?

jude