FOLLOWUP: Angry customer who drove Rolls-Royce through shop window gets 16 months?
Robert Caton was trying to keep a leash on his mounting stress, but – aided by depression and two bottles of whiskey – the beast got away from him. The ensuing explosion – and, again, depression and two bottles of whiskey – led Caton to drive his restored 1983 Rolls-Royce through the front window of a Tesco store. Luckily no one was killed, but the store and the car took a severe beating.
For doing £21,000 worth of damage to the store, costing the store another £41,000 in lost sales and creating general mayhem, Caton was sentenced to 16 months in jail and another 3-month concurrent sentence for failing to take a breath test. He also had to give up his driver's license for five years and the Rolls for good.
Caton's statement to the court was, "I would like to say anybody breaks if the stress is enough. I broke. I gladly offer my sincere apologies to all affected by my reckless and irresponsible behaviour." Perhaps it should have been something more along the lines of Grandmaster Flash...
[Source: Herald Scotland | Photo: Sky News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
cool_ozzyfromkalush 8:41AM (9/28/2009)
Blighty is one unhappy place.
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Rich 9:47AM (9/28/2009)
Reasons?
And not knee-jerk emotions?
geotang 2:28PM (9/28/2009)
Agree.... The cloudy and bloody weather, it's depressing...
cool_ozzyfromkalush 6:42PM (9/28/2009)
At least you people have something to do, unlike here in Canada (Winnipeg in particular).
Rich 9:47AM (9/28/2009)
To someone who's never been in jail, who never *expects* to go to jail, even one month would be devastating (initially), and eventually make them a better person. (This is distinct from the type of person who grows up knowing they'll be in and out of jail several times before they're old enough to vote.)
Sentencing him to five years would become retaliation, rather than corrective action. He can't drive for five years, and that will give him time to ponder.
This kind of mock surprise in the headline needs to be tempered the world over. Sometimes Britain feels like a police state, but it's far from it in truth. Calling for harsher sentences is just emoting pig-ignorance of what prison is for: it has no basis in fact. In fact, he'll be out in eight months.
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Dr. Greenthumb 11:28AM (9/28/2009)
Rich: He was sentenced to 16 months, not 5 years (60 months), big difference. This jackass deserves to lose his DL for 5 years, longer if anyone was injured.
Not all sentences should be for rehabilitation, some rightfully are and should be punitive.
Until you've lived under the thumb of the KGB and other like systems, you have not lived in a police state. Quit your whining.
Rich 5:20PM (9/28/2009)
Dr. Greenbrain. Try re-reading what I wrote, this time with "comprehension" switched on. Jeez.
the4thheat 9:09PM (9/28/2009)
That's actually a pretty heavy sentence for the UK. You have to realize even the sentences for murder are fairly light over there compared to the US.
mk15 9:53AM (9/28/2009)
Just glad no one was hurt. He spent 7 years restoring the Rolls, he should had taken a nice drive in the rolling countryside and relax. Not thrash it and forfeit it in a fit of rage. :(
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2004m3driver 1:29PM (9/28/2009)
Destructive behavior like that is pretty nutty. Another reason why you shouldn't drive angry and especially angry and drunk! All to often people forget that driving under the influence could come from other mood controlling factors besides illegal narcotics.
tscurt 10:42AM (9/28/2009)
I'd like to be able to afford his depression.
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k.w.a 2:43PM (9/28/2009)
I love the "Beers, Wines, and Spirits" sign in the background in this picture. lol this pic just shows how everything goes full circle!
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Lith 11:35PM (9/28/2009)
The sentence duration was due to the guy nearly killing a bunch of people. If you look at the photo he destroyed 2 checkout lanes which probably had staff on them as well as customers queued up, as well as customers walking around. That no-one died is purely luck.
'Jailing him, the judge said his actions were “deliberate” and an “appalling piece of driving” where he knew there were people. He said his actions had terrified those out shopping on a perfectly ordinary day at 4.30 in the afternoon.'
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