Hi there PAUL1405...

Quite so my friend, quite so. I should've made myself clearer, I was explaining the technical nuances of the law, rather than a practice most wallopers wouldn't have any truck with. To be honest with you, I've never heard of police becoming involved with any issues to do with hard rubbish? Garage sales, for sure. Anyway I would've thought it's more within a Council Ranger's purview, not something the police would concern themselves with?

Any law that makes it an offence to be poor would be absolutely odious to me. There's a world of difference between being poor, and being subject to the old Vagrancy Act. We were poor, it was my fists (boxing) as I've mentioned herein previously, and military discipline that kept me on the straight and narrow; otherwise...?

Therefore your sentiments apropos the poor - I totally support Paul, as would most coppers. As evidenced when still in uniform, on most night shifts we'd cruise slowly through City's parks, where I've often witnessed many a copper give-up all his snacks, coffees, Cokes etc. to the 'down 'n out' old chats, who sleep and often die, on park benches all their lives. Never cash, that goes straight to 'plonk', if the Pub's still open.

To nightly observe the deplorable ignominy of Sydney's City Council, who continue to allow these poor and wretched human beings, (most of whom are alcoholic and mentally ill as well) to barely exist, without even the basics of human necessities - that's the real crime, Paul.

I've seen a lot of death in my time, and there's none so sad than to see a totally abandoned, homeless individual, who's dies alone while sleeping among the City's detritus on some cold wet night.

Paul,

Look at it from the P.O.V. of the ute driver. As he is not particularly well off, the investment in a small dirt bike of about $3000 is several months discretionary spending. To firstly have a juvenile criminal simply help himself to his treasured possessions is heartbreaking enough, and then report it to the police, only to be told to go and look for it yourself is devastating.

He then locates the stolen bike, only to have the thief attempt to flee with it. The chase to catch the little delinquent is entirely understandable, except he goes too far and the juvenile crook is killed.

He is charged and convicted of dangerous driving and gets 3 years, which for a man with a family and no previous offences is a severe punishment. Next, we have the local Aboriginal community and every left whinge activist baying at the moon for him to be convicted of murder.

Due process was served and calling for additional punishment because he's white is pure racism.

Dear Shadow Minister,

Where does the young lad fit into your scenario?

Any feelings for him and his family?

to pretend the driver isn't remorsefull and feeling terribly sick about the outcome just demonstrates how deceitful, conniving and ignorant those who hold to warped narratives our.

Dear Foxy,

Imagine it was not just a motorbike, which could be bought for some $$s: imagine for example that the owner had in that stolen bike the only remaining photos of his late mother, which he was about to take somewhere to enlarge; or perhaps even her very ashes; or some important and irretrievable documents; or perhaps a disk with the names/addresses/phones of all his friends and relatives, without which he would become contactless; or perhaps some medication, brought from afar, which he needed to take every day or else... I'm sure you could also add to this list some items that are particularly precious to you, which you would have been yourself ready to kill a thief to retrieve.

Yes, it's revolting to hear that someone was killed for something that could have been replaced with mere money, but then we also heard of cases where cars were stolen with babies in the back-seat (without the thief even noticing): where would this end? Did the thief really care? Did he ever checked was else was there in the bike?

It is good for thieves to know that there is some chance they might incur the death penalty (combined with a larger chance of corporal punishment, for example if they fall off the bike and are injured). It's not that the actual death penalty is good, but rather the fear of the thief that there is some positive probability for it to be applied, at least if something that cannot be bought for money was stolen, at least that can make the thief check carefully what else they take.

Regarding such items that can be replaced with money, the onus should be on the police to replace them if they fail in their duty to catch the thief.

«Any feelings for him and his family?»

That same family which failed to teach him not to steal and also that he could die if he steals? The knowledge that he COULD die (or be injured) would actually help the thief and his family by saving them from a criminal life.

Foxy,

As I've said before, the accident was a tragedy, as is always the loss of a young life. However, given the lynch mob from the left that wants to punish the Ute driver irrespective of the facts, I have tried to focus on the facts of the case, not feelings.