Our Justice System Sucks

Two court cases from yesterday's paper. A woman stabs her boyfriend to death and gets five years in prison (out in less than three.) Meanwhile a former publican is sentenced to six months for allowing smoking in his pub.

Five years (ie 3) for killing someone with a knife? How is that justice? And sending a man to prison for six months over smoking. Why?

It's no wonder we hold our criminal justice system in such contempt.

Here's the stories -

A sixth-former who fatally stabbed her boyfriend in the heart hours after collecting her A-level results has been jailed for five years for his manslaughter.

Katherine McGrath, 19, plunged a steak knife into the heart of Alyn Thomas, 22, during an argument after a night out drinking with friends.

McGrath, of Brackla, Bridgend, South Wales, was cleared of murder following a trial earlier this month but found guilty of manslaughter.

Sentencing her at Cardiff Crown Court to five years in a young offenders' institution, Mr Justice Griffith Williams said: "Only you know what actually happened in the kitchen of your home but of this I am sure: the jury did not hear the whole truth."
And:

A former pub landlord yesterday became the first person to be jailed in connection with the smoking ban.

Nick Hogan, 43, was sentenced to six months in prison for refusing to pay a fine imposed for flouting the legislation.

Two years ago Hogan, who ran two pubs in Bolton, became the first landlord convicted of breaking the law for allowing his customers to routinely light up in his bars.