27 months for murder

Lessons in British law

With all that stuff about Madonna's divorce, the plans for fewer immigrants as well as Harry and William's African tour hogging the spotlight, you may not have noticed that a brutal murderer in Hartlepool got sentenced to 27 months and, under current legislation, he will be out in 10.

A yob called Gary Robson, 23, first tried to attack a man and then pushed him from a bus in Hartlepool, killing him. The victim, 60-year-old Stan Dixon, was just asking him to tone his language down as he was being obnoxious to fellow bus passengers.

Incredibly, Judge David Hodson motivated his decision with the fact that "the unlawful act was done without any intention to kill or cause really serious harm" and that the sentence he had to give was governed by rules "laid down by higher courts". You push someone off a bus and that isn't intended to cause harm? What next, kicking someone's brains out to be seen as an act of love?

Stunning. So if you want to murder someone here's the deal. Just don't say "I'm gonna fuckin kill you" or similar banter and you're guaranteed to get away with it. Gary Robson will be out by August 2009 at the latest.