Ahmed Alzaabi gets a six month minimum

Clown Killer said :

Hmmm, why did the friends get in the car with a drunk driver though? I’m not blaming them…

You should. They got into the car of their own volition. All of those young men made decisions that night that lead to what happened.

Family member here. Yes, In some ways I often get angry at Ben for this. 18 is 18. 18 and drunk isn’t the best decision making brain. Non-drunk Ben was effortlessly bright. Two years later (thinking of it daily) I still have issues with figuring out where to place my anger. I have spent a lot of time with army friends, and the drinking culture is huge. So is showing no fear, and not piking out. Again, so many things to blame…its very unhealthy to think about, but I can’t help it.

I now just try and remember the good. I’m happy we got him for 18 years. Leeara, just try and remember the good times. You know there were plenty. He was one cheeky bugger.

The concrete barrier he hit at Russell has a rather interesting plaque placed on it by one of his victims families. It talks about their son being killed by a drink driver and this should serve as a warning to others. The choice of wording used really surprised me when I read it. I’ll try to get a pic of it tomorrow and post here.

Hmmm, why did the friends get in the car with a drunk driver though? I’m not blaming them…

You should. They got into the car of their own volition. All of those young men made decisions that night that lead to what happened.

I didnt forget the accident and I am sure that you are not going to forgive me no matter how long I served time in jail. I am sorry for what I did and I apologised in court to his family. I know it is not enough. Ben was a great friend and he wont be forgotten.

It has been 2 years now and most of you have forgotten this accident…. We havent…. Ahmed should rot in jail. He is a murderer and nothing can bring Ben back to us. Ben was a friend and my high school boyfriend and to see such a pure soul lost because of someone else’s stupidity is crushing……You never think that it can happen to someone you know, but believe me it can. We will always love you Ben

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :

Isn’t he lucky that in the ACT we don’t take what he did particularly seriously? I mean he only got hammered, killed a friend and injured another. 6 months will be plenty…

Hmmm, why did the friends get in the car with a drunk driver though? I’m not blaming them, all I’m saying is that you’re putting a slant on things. Would 5 years in jail make it all better? 10 years? No, nothing will make it all better. Tough case to sentence.

I agree that sentencing in the ACT often seems light (this case, the guy who killed his mother, as recent examples), but I guess I’m making the point that judges do not have an easy job to do. The context of the crime plays a big part in sentencing, and it’s something about which the public is often not fully informed. Context is also highly subjective, but judges must try to objectify the situation and achieve a fair result. Tough job, that one.

Also, why do we put people in jail? For punishment (which is basically societal revenge), rehabilitation, or to keep the person off the streets? In this case, a long sentence could only be about punishment, as rehabilitation is not really an issue (he did a very stupid thing, he’s not a habitual criminal), and he’s unlikely to be a danger to anyone post-release from jail.

The world is all shades of grey.

Isn’t he lucky that in the ACT we don’t take what he did particularly seriously? I mean he only got hammered, killed a friend and injured another. 6 months will be plenty…

spoonbill said :

What is it about moslems and their propensity to drink alcohol when in western countries?

“Allah can’t see me here” is what they say. Which makes for a pretty poor deity if you think about it. Any decent god would see you sinning and smite you there and then as an example to the others.

WIN News mentioned that the when he returns to his home country after serving his sentence and he would likely face a court martial and kicked out of the military for the offenses.

Just found the link on abc website:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/13/2363657.htm

Young guys make stupid mistakes.. example to others who want to go out and get drunk and drive

What is it about moslems and their propensity to drink alcohol when in western countries?

Err… stating the obvious I’m sure, but all that says to me is that “they” are much the same as “us”, and would drink at home too if it was allowed. This sounds a bit like the Dutch saying “What is it about foreigners and their propensity to smoke pot when in our country?”