Stereotyping!

[HawkeyeTheNoo]

Have you seen this drivel? talk about stereotyping and the case has nothing to do with trains!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16760464

'Trainspotter' faces terror charges over Ballykinlar pictures A man described by his solicitor as a nerd and a trainspotter has appeared in court on terrorism charges.

Ryan Lavery was arrested near Downpatrick on Wednesday.

Mr Lavery, 27, from the Ballymoat Road in Model Farm estate, is accused of collecting information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

The police allege his computer had photographs of vehicles coming in and out of Ballykinlar Army Base.

He is also charged with having a document likely to be of use to terrorists, namely a list of vehicle registration numbers found at a house he used to live in overlooking the entrance to the barracks.

Mr Lavery's defence solicitor argued his client was "a trainspotter, a loner, an anorak, a nerd with no friends" and if he was put beside an airport "he would take pictures of planes".

He added the accused's father works at Ballykinlar and his client had photographs taken of him holding a machinegun at an open day at the base last year.

District Judge Mark Hamill refused bail for risk of committing further offences and said it was up to a High Court judge to decide if Mr Lavery was a trainspotter.

That bail application is to be heard at the high court next week.

 

[Schnellzug]

"A man described by his solicitor as a nerd and a trainspotter"
I'm sorry, he was his defence solictor?!

 

[Jonny]

Free Ryan Lavery! Ok so it's NI but anyone could do that... Did he put it on the internet?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

"A man described by his solicitor as a nerd and a trainspotter"
I'm sorry, he was his defence solictor?!

as opposed to a terrorist

 

[DaveNewcastle]

"A man described by his solicitor as a nerd and a trainspotter"
I'm sorry, he was his defence solictor?!

Yes, that's an effective strategy.
Blame your Client for something that is not an Offence in order to transfer the incriminating evidence away from the accused Offence. It leaves the Prosecution with a tougher challenge in demonstrating Guilt.

 

[OuterDistant]

But if you describe someone only as a "loner", people tent to conjure up images of the likes of Thomas Hamilton, Michael Ryan, etc.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Defence advocates can be very rude about their clients. As Dave has said, it's a useful argument strategy. For example, it's regulary claimed that defendants neither have the intelligence or the skill to carry out an act.


Sent from my iPhone 4 using Tapatalk

 

[12CSVT]

But if you describe someone only as a "loner", people tent to conjure up images of the likes of Thomas Hamilton, Michael Ryan, etc.

All too often the word 'loner' is misused to give the impression of a person being mentally unstable or a danger to others. In reality the definition of the word 'loner' merely refers to a person who has difficulties with socialising and / or making friends.

 

[AlterEgo]

I read this case with some unease earlier. With the recent murders at Massereene Barracks you can only imagine what the police might have suspected him of and why alarm bells rang.

On the other hand this could be another borderline autistic man accused simply of being obsessive. Remember Gary McKinnon?

A real moral dilemma in my view.

 

[Oswyntail]

Defence advocates can be very rude about their clients. As Dave has said, it's a useful argument strategy. For example, it's regulary claimed that defendants neither have the intelligence or the skill to carry out an act.

See the current trial of Mr Redknapp

 

[AlterEgo]

See the current trial of Mr Redknapp

Indeed. His defence is partly that his is incredibly disorganised, cannot spell and has the writing of a child. Hence he does not deal with his own financial affairs; his accountant does.

So it's claimed anyway.

 

[Flamingo]

I know somebody who specializes in defense, who once claimed in mitigation with a client who was about to go down that "there is no point in sending him to prison - with an IQ of a shaved monkey, he is too stupid to learn anything from it".

 

[DownSouth]

Seems like a good defense to me, offering an explanation as to why the accused was taking photos, and providing further information to back it up.

 

[LE Greys]

Seems like a good defense to me, offering an explanation as to why the accused was taking photos, and providing further information to back it up.

Well, a character assassination of your client sounds like something John Mortimer might have come up with. If it works, it works. Lawyers don't work for gratitude, they work for money.

Still, it also shows you that you need to be careful. I've sometimes thought that if I am ever accused of being a terrorist because of my interests (which also spread to aircraft, submarines, ships, bridges and anything to do with space) then I'll just give a lecture on the entire history of whatever it is that I'm taking pictures of. If they don't believe me after the first hour, I would be very surprised.