A Midland teenager who admitted throwing a 45lb lump of bricks and mortar from a railway bridge, hitting a passing train and badly injuring its driver, has had 18 months cut from his seven-and-a-half year sentence behind bars.
Daniel James Ratcliffe, aged 17, had admitted two counts of damaging property, reckless as to whether life was endangered, in November. But he appealed and yesterday, in a hearing at the Criminal Court of Appeal in London, was granted an 18-month reduction by three top judges.
Judge Henry Globe QC, who sat with Lord Justice Moses and Mr Justice Cranston, said seven-and-a-half years in custody for a person as young as Ratcliffe was too long – despite the seriousness of his offences.
Ratcliffe was locked up with his accomplice, Kevin Clee, aged 18, after dropping the lump of bricks from a railway bridge near Kidderminster Station on the night of December 17, 2006.
Their target was a passing passenger train.
But, having hit the roof of one of the carriages, the lump bounced into the path of 56-year-old Joseph Paxton’s freight train.
The heavy lump smashed into the front window of the train, causing it to fall inwards, smashing into Mr Paxton’s face and chest and knocking him unconscious.
The out-of-control train continued, without the aid of a driver, for a further half a mile before automatic braking systems kicked in and brought it to a halt further down the line.
Mr Paxton, of Perry Barr, was left with 29 fractures to his face and serious cuts to his neck and face and still suffers the physical and psychological effects of the injuries and the courts were told he was unlikely to ever return to his job.
Appeals for information resulted in both Ratcliffe and Clee being caught.
Ratcliffe, of Broad Street, Kidderminster, initially denied the offences and did not plead guilty until the day of his trial, but Clee of Grasmere Close, Kidderminster, admitted his guilt earlier and received a lesser six-year sentence as a result.
Mr Andrew Davidson, for Ratcliffe, said his client’s sentence was too long. Reducing the sentence to six years, Judge Globe said: “We need to be mindful of what is the appropriate sentence for acts of this nature, where serious injury, but not death, results, and where committed by very young people.”
12 Comments
No protection for victims to prevent this happening.
Judges get it wrong again. He should never be let out.
Yes I heard this news item on Midlands Today this morning. It just reiterates the fact to me that the nutters sit in the highest law courts in the land and are running the assylum.
If I was the victims family I wouldn’t be very happy with this verdict one bit. The victim is less important than the rights of the criminal it seems - every time !!!
British law is a complete and utter ASS !!! Why should the general public respect it or even believe in it ?
this train drivers union should call a immediate national strike and demand that the original sentence be re-instated….. dont tell us he is to young he was old enough to pick the concrete block up in the first place. ian was right the nutters are running the courts of law ……disgusted
Totally agree with your sentiments Ian. I think his sentence should have been even longer.
Question ?
Does this human rights thing only work one way …… can the victim appeal to the court of human rights to have this idiots full sentence re-instated, or is it just to protect the criminal.?????
Does anyone know where I can purchase a firearm? in order to protect my elderly wife and myself in our old age (80 next birthday). Our justice system is totally failing the people of this country, it is no longer seen as a deterent to these hooligans.
Our courts and judges are only interested in justice for the thug, no-one gives a damm about the victims. Vigilantes Rise Up! Its time the public were allowed to protect themselves! Prisons are no longer a detterent, hell.. they are queuing up to get in. Shoot the thugs dead! one thing is sure, they will not re-offend!
I am utterly disgusted at our own judicial system. And the Government seriously have no idea why younger and younger youths are pointlessly committing offences - erm, because they get off easy!!! The way things are goind murderers will get a year max, and if they’re under 18 (not like it makes a difference how old you are) maybe they can appeal and get 6 months cut off their sentence!
the only things certain in life apart from death and taxes
THE LAW IS A ASS!!!!!
and the other thing?
THE LAW IS A ASS!!!!!
CUT HIS SENTENCE
CUT HIS BLOODY HANDS OFF MORE LIKE
THIS SCUM SHOULD DO THE TIME THAT FITS THE CRIME
So he gets 18 months cut off his already to short sentence. Perhaps if “behaves” himself whilst inside they may cut it further !!!!!. Perhaps the judge should retire and the idiot inside stays there a little longer both protecting the rest us from them. Another thought on the matter, does the train driver recover 18 months faster from this trauma, I think not!!! perhaps if the punishment was harsher it would serve as detererrent perhaps?
And they wonder why there is so much crime today? The sentences are too short and punishment too leniant. Bring back the death sentence for serious offences and keep idiots like this in jail.
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth!!!As the old saying goes!!Mr.Ratcliffe should have to endure the same injuries as the engineer driver did..PUBLICLY..never mind the jail time it won’t be necessary at this point.And this should send a message to the rest of the idiots out there!!