Well said, Christina. He made a mistake. He’s young and did something foolish. It is a shame his life has been ruined.
Interestingly, Girton has let him sit his second year exams.
PS. Oscar Wilde’s poem was an indictment of the Victorian penal system; ironic really.
For goodness sake, he didn’t kill anyone, and I doubt he would do so. I wouldn’t dispute he needs a lesson but….
Boadicea's Chariot 
I was rather under the impression that you could not be admitted to a British University with a criminal record? So I can’t see him being able to finish his degree.
Of course he should have expected it being a WASP and middle class to boot!
Can’t quite understand why you started a new thread to this.
He didn’t have a criminal record when he was accepted at Girton. I have no idea if he will be able to continue his degree, but I did read he was allowed to take his exams.
I started a new thread because my comment on Tocino’s post was deleted.
Link deleted by Araminta
Oh yes, I forgot the ‘State of Nations’ between you two.
Ah well, yes. It takes two to tango and I don’t normally play. Let us see how long he keeps it up! 😉
To Tocino and Bearsy.
Turn the page:
Araminta, I didn’t notice in the photograph anyone holding a gun to young Gilmour’s head forcing him to do what he did. He was being stupid and has no one to blame but himself. His behaviour at his trial didn’t do him any favours either. Girton needs to review its admissions criteria.
No, they didn’t Sheona.
Nothing wrong with Girton’s admission criteria, as I have already pointed out, he was admitted presumably on merit. This incident happened in his second year.
I have also pointed out that I have no idea if they will allow him to complete his degree. I hope they will, actually.
The point I was trying to make, Araminta, is that Girton admitted a rather childish, immature student, whatever his academic merit. His behaviour at his trial, sniggering at what he had done, also suggests a lack of common sense as well as maturity. A fancy suit and glasses do not a bright lad make.
I understood your point, Sheona. Most undergraduates are immature, that is the nature of the beast. They are essentially children, but most of them learn; some do not.
Sheona,
I apologise if I have misunderstood but I really cannot see your point.
Are you suggesting that universities should admit students who are older and supposedly wiser? If so that is a different discussion.
It does not matter in the long run what he did. It does, however, matter in the long run what he believes and how he is prepared to act on those beliefs! This applies to many others too! Anyway, Girton is only a college from a provincial polytechnic! 🙂
Anyway, apropos of nothing of any importance. I do understand that authors have every right to delete comments on their posts without explanation. I have no problem with that concept.
I generally do have reason, should I feel it necessary to exercise this right, but I do not do this lightly, or just because I disagree with the comment.
Feeg.
I take your point, I hope he learns from this.
Girton is what? Crikey, I’m not sure I agree with you on that one! 😉
Not quite sure really why he was at a women’s college anyway. I know it went coed or bisexual or whatever, but I still find it exceptionally peculiar that any male would want to go to a college with such strong female influence. One wonders if they dropped the academic standards to attract males to the place?
Equally, is his father not a musician? Well heeled? One can always bribe one’s way via ‘endowments’!
I’ve known it happen.
Another splendid area of corruption.
Girton, Christina has been admitting male students since 1979, I think, so it hardly a recent thing.
I’ll bid you goodnight, and thank you all for your comments.
Should there be any confusion as to why I posted this, it is in response to this post:
Morning Ara.
I think that it’s a fair sentence, I doubt if his ‘life has been ruined’, time will tell.
I don’t understand your final sentence, are you suggesting that only people who kill someone should be jailed?
Morning Soutie.
No, I don’t think that only people who kill should be imprisoned, but we have overcrowded prisons and maybe there could be a better solution in some instances.
I think people who have committed worse crimes remain at liberty was my point.
I can’t see why he should be treated differently from any other yob. His parentage and college are totally irrelevant to the decision.
Don’t disagree with that, Janus. He shouldn’t be treated differently.
Since we have two posts on the subject I am commenting here as well, though I suspect I am too late.
Personally, I am against prison sentences. I think they serve little purpose other than to turn petty criminals into extreme criminals. Being forced to associate with other offenders in an environment where one’s dignity has been reduced to zero is not conducive to the rehabilitation of an individual. Don’t get me wrong, I think offenders should be punished but as I have said before the purpose of the punishment should be to be prevent them from re-offending. It should not be about vengeance which is a primitive and uncivilized emotion. In this instance, I think Gilmore should have received a good flogging and should have been made to work in a care home for the frail, preferably one that caters for veterans. Working with those who have served their country would likely engender a far greater respect for the institutions of the nation than will result from a long, hard spell in prison. It baffles me that society should think otherwise. Prison should only exist for those who are too dangerous to be let loose in society.
Sipu, how do you propose to punish a rich, yobbish student? A fine is meaningless.
Thanks for posting your comment here too, Sipu.
Much of what you say echoes my thoughts on prison sentences, we have too many people in prison for the wrong reasons.
In haste, I have to go out.
Janus, did you read what I said? I did not mention fines. I recommended a flogging and community service.
Anyway, why should a fine be meaningless? I agree that fines, in their current form are demonstrably unfair.The richer he is, the more you fine him? Duh!
Ara: You would agree if you had been to a college of London University. Students from there live in the real world! 🙂
Hi FEEG.
My daughter was at UCL so I’ll see if she agrees with you!
She probably will. 😦
Ara: I am a Kingsman, myself, so have certain feelings regarding the Godless Institution of Jeremy Bentham! 🙂