If someone were to tell me they couldn't swim while I was trying to throw them in a river, I'd probably assume they were lying to get me to stop: most people can swim, and most people don't want to be thrown in rivers. [*]

It sounds like the judge and jury both accepted that this was the thought process that the defendants in this case went through. This meant they were not intending to cause GBH or death, and therefore weren't guilty of murder.

The manslaughter sentences appear rather lenient, though.

[*] Not being a stupid chav, I'd stop anyway at this point on the off-chance that they were telling the truth.

Yes, I understand that reasoning, but I disagree with it. They didn't throw him off the bridge accidentally. Actions are supposed to have consequences.

> not intending to cause GBH

"... twisted his body in such a way that if he had maintained a hold on the rail it would have broken his arm."

Fuck 'em.

If someone were to tell me they couldn't swim while I was trying to throw them in a river, I'd probably assume they were lying to get me to stop (not being a stupid chav, I'd stop anyway at this point on the off-chance that they were telling the truth).

See, this is what I like about you, John, your ability to understand the point of view of stupid thugs. If someone thinks there's nothing wrong with throwing a smaller, weaker kid into a river to possibly drown, you can totally see where they're coming from. Hey, even that 'to possibly drown' bit might strike you as being 'too melodramatic'...right?

But public fear of crime, as far as you're concerned, is purely a matter of duplicitous tabloids whipping up hysteria, and that's it. You cannot relate to a person's concerns with regard to being a victim of crime at all, in fact, your focusing exclusively on the tabloids as the source of this public fear says that you flat out don't want to understand where members of the public are coming from.

I'm not interested in getting into a barney with you over this self defence issue, as I know that you are unable to put the blame where it really lies(the insensitive authorities and their cockeyed judgements), I just think that that disparity is very interesting. How do you explain it?

Did someone say 8 years and 18 years. That sounds about right.