World Watching

Philip Laing, the 19 year old yob who pissed over a wreath on a First World War memorial in sheffield has escaped jail, but landed up with 250hrs community service.

Does community service really act as a deterrant to others in this day and age?

Philip, who was on a commercially organised pub crawl operated by Carnage UK, consumed copius amounts of alcohol at £1 a drink. The company was critised by the judge who suggested that maybe someone from the company should also have been in the dock.

Should Companies like Carnage UK be held to account for scenes like this and if so, to what degree?

The 19-year-old, from Macclesfield, Cheshire, admitted the offence when he appeared earlier this month at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court.

But District Judge Anthony Browne told the court that “something does need to be done” about the drinking culture that led to his behaviour. The Judge also said he had considered jailing Laing.

The District Judge said: “Now, let me make this perfectly clear. No-one forced you to take all this drink, or forced it down you, or persuaded you to commit a criminal offence. You did that all by yourself and you must take responsibility”.

“But all this is set against a backdrop, as your solicitor has said, of a culture of drinking far too much. In my view something does need to be done to change this culture. What you have done has outraged and offended many and has saddened most.”

After the Stuart Feltham saga in Crete, Should something be done to curb alcohol abuse?

Sheffield University is yet to rule on his future in the establishment.