Free Ronnie Biggs

antrim | crime and justice | opinion/analysis

Friday July 03, 2009 16:25

by Sean Matthews-personal capacity - Workers Solidarity Movement

The refusal by British Justice Secretary Jack Straw to grant the great train robber Ronnie Biggs parole exposes the extent of injustice and corruption which underpins the class system.

Despite the Parole board recommending leave, Jack Straw rejected parole on the basis of Ronnie remaining ‘unrepentant’ for his role on the great train robbery in England 1963 which the robbers made off with £2.6 million- about £40 million at present day value.

Originally, sentenced to 30 years in jail, Ronnie escaped and fled to Australia before fleeing to Latin America. He returned to Britain in 2001. Biggs the 79 year old has suffered a series of strokes and claims he is unable to walk and can barely communicate.

Like most people, I was struck by the double standards between the recent expenses scandal where politicians received a slap on the wrist for engaging in legalised fraud and that of frail and ill pensioner who represents a threat to know one.

I suppose it is nothing knew whenever one observes the sense of British justice (injustice) down the years. Indeed, apart from the media frenzy over crime, the vast majority of prisoners are locked away for the crime of capitalism, which produces an inequality in wealth and power.

Take a look at the real gangsters who are running the country from bankers being paid off in the millions to Shell in Rossport, crushing local peaceful resistance with the violent assistance of the state. Take a look at gangster capitalism in operation in Afghanistan and Iraq or property developers rezoning working-class communities in the interests of profit.

As a friend once noted, it seems the rich can rob us all take our produce and have a ball, but when we take it back they call it crime.

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Comments (4 of 4)

Ronnie Biggs

by kh - nmn

Fri Jul 03, 2009 18:28

This is taken from the comment page at newsmedianews.com
Ronnie Biggs—a vindictive decision
Forty-six years ago a gang of men robbed £2.5million from a Post Office train travelling between Glasgow and London. A few short weeks later Ronnie Biggs, one of those taking part was arrested, along with others involved in the robbery. It is on record that politicians and other high ranking government officials discussed the case in private member's only clubs in London before the men were sentenced for their parts in the crime.
The majority of those convicted of the robbery received 30 years jail—an unprecedented sentence for such an offence in the UK.
Fifteen months later Biggs escaped and fled to Brazil, where he lived for 30 years before voluntarilly handing himself in to the British authorities in 2001.
Now, eight years on and aged 79, Biggs is said to be seriously ill and close to death. The UP prison's parole board recommended that he be released on parole.
That recommendation was ignored by Home Secretary Jack Straw who commented that Biggs would “still be a threat” to the public of released.
Flying as it does in the face of the parole board's recommendations, whose very job it is to weight up such risk assessments, Straw’s decision can only be viewed as vindictive and without compassion. It reveals how much unfettered power UK politcians hold in the process of serving not the public but their own selfish interests.

He will Rot.

by Pete.

Fri Jul 03, 2009 19:43

Even British criminals have a motto:

"Ya do the Crime. Ya do the Time."

Biggs knew THAT when he struch the train driver (or guard) and disabled him for life.

Another example of proper justice:

Madoff in the USA just got 150 years.

Good on the Americans....Madoff bankrupted thousands of charities.

Biggs will rot in jail too.........who cares.

.

by Maddog Wilson

Sat Jul 04, 2009 10:30

mr_paulwilson2 at yahoo dot co dot uk

Kh and Pete
I agree with the first point about the nature of the class system in regard to British Justice, however Biggs took part in a crime that led almost certainly to the early death of Jack Mills the train driver. This could not be proved medically at the time. There were more than a dozen gang members and there was no need for Mills to be attacked. Pete i doubt if Biggs was the actual assailant but he was an accessory to the act. He escaped and was happy to become a celebrity and poke 2 fingers up at justice. He never as far as i know expressed any remorse for what happened. Mills was just a working class bloke earning a crust for his family in a vital (at the time) nationalised industry. I have no personal sympathy for Biggs, he who lives by the sword ect.

make room for nastier crims

by lulu

Sat Jul 04, 2009 17:56

Whatever happens about parole, Biggs will suffer now that his health is failing - should his family suffer as well? In a recent UK case, a girl with developmental difficulties was raped & dis-figured with acid, & the guilty got 8 years initially - now increased to 14, but still less than Biggs' 30 years for sinning against Property. With an election looming, Strawman wants to look 'tough on crime', despite the Parole Board's recommendation.

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Free Ronnie Biggs

Comments (4 of 4)