Throwing things off bridges at the road below
Throwing things off bridges at the road below
Author
Discussion

CommanderJameson

Original Poster:

22,096 posts

256 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
Another thread mentioned this and it set me wondering: what is the offence?

To my mind, intentionally throwing anything more rigid than a goose feather off a road bridge into the carriageway below should be deemed attempted murder.

vonhosen

40,597 posts

247 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
It could be a whole host of offences including murder.


Edited by vonhosen on Thursday 23 November 06:55

WildCat

8,369 posts

273 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
It could be a whole host of offences including murder.


Edited by vonhosen on Thursday 23 November 06:55


Und they did lock up the kid who caused the death of the lorry driver for manslaughter.. when he chucked a brick from bridge. Shock caused the driver to have heart attack after he had skilfully steered the lorry to safety und avoided a serious collision with other vehicles. (2003?)

WildCat

8,369 posts

273 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
I would love the key to be thrown away. A woman pedestrian has severe spinal injuries because someone threw a traffic cone from a bridge. It landed on her head as she walked below.

jasandjules

72,631 posts

259 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
It should be attempted murder.

They KNOW something very serious could happen if the item hits someone/vehicle.

It gets on my nerves when the CPS reduce the charges to a lower offence.

andmole

1,594 posts

241 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
jasandjules said:
It should be attempted murder.

They KNOW something very serious could happen if the item hits someone/vehicle.

It gets on my nerves when the CPS reduce the charges to a lower offence.


Ahhhh, the good old CPS, don't you just love em?

jasandjules

72,631 posts

259 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
andmole said:
Ahhhh, the good old CPS, don't you just love em?


I reserve the right to remain silent....:-)

Zod

35,295 posts

288 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
WildCat said:
I would love the key to be thrown away. A woman pedestrian has severe spinal injuries because someone threw a traffic cone from a bridge. It landed on her head as she walked below.

at least in that case the perpetrator handed himself in when he heard what effect his action had on the woman.

MR2Mike

20,143 posts

285 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
jasandjules said:
andmole said:
Ahhhh, the good old CPS, don't you just love em?


I reserve the right to remain silent....:-)



Sorry, you don't have that right any more

BigBob

1,471 posts

255 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
jasandjules said:
andmole said:
Ahhhh, the good old CPS, don't you just love em?


I reserve the right to remain silent....:-)



Use it while you got it mate .............

BigBob

1,471 posts

255 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
MR2Mike said:
jasandjules said:
andmole said:
Ahhhh, the good old CPS, don't you just love em?


I reserve the right to remain silent....:-)



Sorry, you don't have that right any more



Oops forgot. We lost that already



BB

Fort Jefferson

8,237 posts

252 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
It could be a whole host of offences including murder.


I remember it well. 21 Years ago, I wonder if they are out of prison now?

tvrgit

8,490 posts

282 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
There is a case ongoing in Scotland at the moment. Last weekend a guy chucked a traffic cone off a bridge at night, just for a laugh.

In the street underneath, a girl was standing chatting to her friends when this traffic cone landed on her head. result - multiple spinal injuries and possible permanent paralysis.

The guy turned himself in on Tuesday after reading about it in the paper.

In Scots law there is an offence of behaving recklessly. Like Breach of the Peace, it is a non-statutory offence and there is no need to prove intention to cause harm or that any consequences were premeditated - the mere act of reckless behaviour is sufficient for conviction. I don't know what the max fine / imprisonment is though (it's non-statutory so I think at the discretion of the court).

JohnSW20

886 posts

267 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
I used to work in transport and one of our tanker drivers got caught throwing brick off a bridge as he know what would happen if he hit someone he was charged with attempted murder!!!!

He was a professional driver and did this????

John

fad sucker

66 posts

242 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
There was a recent case in Dorset where two lads placed a temporary road sign in the middle of the road at night. A car came along the road and the girl driving swerved to avoid it and both her and passenger died. The lads were convicted of manslaughter and jailed( not long enough if my memory serves me). The reason for manslaughter, they didn't intend for anyone to die.

Balmoral Green

42,561 posts

278 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
Fort Jefferson said:
vonhosen said:
It could be a whole host of offences including murder.


I remember it well. 21 Years ago, I wonder if they are out of prison now?
30th November 1989, after serving five years.

sean5302

358 posts

248 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
Hmm, so you drive along a local road and come across a Talivan, with the occupant pointing his tripod and camera over the motorway.
Would you throw him over the parapet?

bi9_jk

883 posts

295 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
This crime would be assault or perhaps aggrivated in scots law.
The crime is basically reckless endangerment of lieges such that is common law offence.


For murder if the person had known that someone was under the bridge there could have been a case for murder. Proving intention to kill the person, proving they intended to do severe bodily harm such that a person who walking along would be most susceptable to an assault from above or that the action was so indifferent to the consequences such that it was a public walkway and was likely to be someone beneath then it could be murder. however the crime is incomplete as there has to be a death for a murder charge howeve such would be an attepted murder. Can somebody be guilty of recklessness though?

It would be the taks of the court to decide the forseeability of the rusult and wheter it is likely that they were indifferent to the death.

Parrot of Doom

23,075 posts

264 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
I phoned the police a few years back after seeing children walking on the outside edge of a footbridge over the M60 near Whitefield (J17, the bridge that goes to Philips Park FYI).

Would that have been an offence?

WildCat

8,369 posts

273 months

Thursday 23rd November 2006
quotequote all
Zod said:
WildCat said:
I would love the key to be thrown away. A woman pedestrian has severe spinal injuries because someone threw a traffic cone from a bridge. It landed on her head as she walked below.

at least in that case the perpetrator handed himself in when he heard what effect his action had on the woman.


But how many have that honesty, courage or even realise


For this act of admitting - he will get clemency. But.. I have to ask

will his victim?


think we have to look at this when we sentence. She may never walk again.