In the news

In response to being asked about whether his property had been used as
a restaurant, he added: “What you are saying to me is wrong.”

When asked about the signage, Mr Williams said: “All I do, I have my
name on my house."

https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/orlando-williams-japanese-restaurant-norwich-1-5845867

Ha. Sounds like the council are all over it though:
"Norwich City Council said it has made numerous visits to the property, but has not been able to establish whether or not it was being used as a working restaurant."

His application to convert into a B&B is recommended for approval. But what the hell, start a really obvious restaurant illegally just to piss off the neighbours.

On Thursday, he was handed two 28-year sentences, which will be served concurrently.
Abdul, who only had a provisional licence for the car, was disqualified from driving until he passed his test.
Described by the prosecution as a determined and deliberate attempt to kill, using the car as a weapon, the attack was captured on CCTV.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jan/10/man-who-drove-car-on-to-packed-dancefloor-jailed-for-28-years-blakes-gravesend

Wow.... 28 years...! seems slightly excessive compared to a lot of other driving sentences...?! or perhaps i'm just used to the normal leniency shown to drivers.... ?

Excessive?? For deliberately driving a car into a crowd of people? Here's a video - can't see what's excessive about the sentence.

I thought that too. Similar incidents get much less. Here's one...

https://road.cc/content/news/222405-three-years-jail-london-driver-who-used-car-“-weapon”-against-cyclist

I thought of it as the other way around. Why don't other drivers get longer sentences?

The problem here isn't that someone using a deadly weapon is being punished accordingly, the problem is that doing so in a traffic situation is somehow seen and judged differently.

EDIT: our posts crossed, yeah exactly.

The footage is truly shocking.

@SwissChap My phrasing was not quite right, yes he deserved it but 28 year seems like a sentencing blip... don't think i have ever heard of a drivers actions getting a sentence like that....

I can tell you the reasons:

1) It wasn't something that arose from any kind of traffic situation

2) No cyclists were involved

3) He's got a pretty Arab name.

I think there's a whole area of violent crime using a vehicle that's poorly-served by existing laws and sentencing guidelines. In a sense, that's a good thing, because as a society we don't expect these things to happen, so that we shouldn't need laws to cover it, although, of course, more recently these things have happened more often than they used to, so, sadly, it's something the law does have to take into account. Clearly, for the sort of action as above the charge should always be murder or attempted murder. There are then interesting questions as to whether and how that should affect the sort of driving offences for which people today get a slap on the wrist.

Couple of sort of similar cases, crazy range of sentences...!

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/james-bates-man-car-drive-jail-car-pub-kent-littlestone-sentencing-a8637956.html

12 year sentence - not attempted murder

https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/17311879.shailem-dodson-drove-his-car-into-bouncers-outside-halo-in-bournemouth/

16 months?! Guess this must happen all the time in bournemouth?

peak late stage capitalism

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-08/americans-are-dying-younger-saving-corporations-billions

Fission has had its chips?

I like Orlando's style, more power to him!*

*I reckon it's even more sinister like a brothel or casino and he's hiding in plain sight.

This shitshow of a Government set to defy Parliament again, by delaying plans to make overseas dependencies, the centre of the global tax avoidance scam, publish full details on company ownership;

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/11/mps-attack-ministers-over-delay-to-tax-havens-public-registers

I suppose we should expect nothing less from a party that is funded by tax dodgers.

Anything he touches turns to ...

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jan/12/chris-grayling-probation-reforms-serious-crimes-committed-on-parole-soar

A fairly bizarre comment by Nicola Sturgeon (if she really said this):

Sturgeon said: “The fact remains that at the centre of this issue are two women whose complaints could not be swept under the carpet.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jan/13/nicola-sturgeon-refers-herself-ethics-body-salmond-case

I think I'd quite like to hear what was actually swept under the carpet ...

Edmonton McD's last night, scary & horrible stuff:

https://twitter.com/alwayssimma/status/1084931014500192259

That's terrifying...

Guy in the tracksuit sparking everyone out though.
Jeez.

Meanwhile, in other McDonald's-related news ... more violence:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/mcdonalds-customer-beaten-up-at-waterloo-station-after-asking-group-to-stop-throwing-chips-at-him-a4039756.html

People going there must have chips on their shoulders.

And this:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jan/15/mcdonalds-loses-big-mac-trademark-legal-battle-supermacs

This is odd, though:

“This is a victory for all small businesses. It prevents bigger companies from hoarding trademarks with no intention of using them.”

The EUIPO, which is based in Alicante, Spain, ruled that McDonald’s had not proven genuine use of Big Mac, which it trademarked in 1996, as a burger or restaurant name.

Obviously it's not used as a restaurant name, but as the best-known burger at McDonald's surely it should be a doddle to prove on appeal. Not that it's important in this case, as the quarrel is about a restaurant name.

What an appallingly written article.