African drug dealer has sentence cut because he's black

[green]

A story which, at first glance, seems to be from the wilder realms of Catalpaland.
It seems a Nigerian heroin dealer had a mooted eight-year sentence cut to seven by the trial judge due to his nationality and race.

Man jailed after €500,000 heroin seizure

"A man who was caught with heroin worth almost €500,000 after he sold drugs to an undercover garda, has been jailed for seven years.

Emmanuel Ashibougwu (26), originally from Nigeria but with an address at Crescent Villas Limerick, was arrested by gardaí last August during an elaborate operation set up to target drug trafficking by foreign nationals in the Limerick region.

...

Judge Moran said the Nigerian father of one was entitled to a sentence reduction because of his guilty plea and because he had no serious previous convictions.

He acknowledged that it was difficult for a foreign man and "in particular a black man" to be incarcerated in an Irish prison and reduced Ashibougwu's sentence by a further year because he was a "black Nigerian man"."

Now, while I can see the logic, if not the merits, in reducing a criminal's sentence if there is evidence adduced in pleadings that s/he is more likely to be mistreated by fellow prisoners (there was no mention of the defence submitting any such evidence), what sort of sentencing precedent does this set?
As well as effectively yielding to inmates' racism instead of attempting to combat it, does this mean that men should get lighter sentences than women because they are more likely to be attacked in prison? Does it mean that sex offenders, paedophiles in particular, should get lighter sentences because they are more likely to be attacked? Could this lead to a greater use of black people, even Irish black people, as drug mules if the barons realise they will be given a lighter sentence?

Totally f,ucking ridiculous. (I can already hear Catalpa and FT rubbing their hands with glee).

[georgedillon]

This is very troubling. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

It's in parallel with today's Herald story about how we should be worried about the fate of Chinese criminals who are finally (at vast expense to Irish people) deported back to whence they came.
GD

[cicero]

Joke, total f*cking joke.

[green]

This is very troubling. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

As I feared, the first response is from an anti-immigration loony (who cites the Evening Herald, of all rags, as justification for his posts). How long 'til Desmond shows up?

[commentator]

This is very troubling. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

As I feared, the first response is from an anti-immigration loony (who cites the Evening Herald, of all rags, as justification for his posts). How long 'til Desmond shows up?

Ah...the good old fashioned ad hominem attack. Part and parcel of irish life and not yet submerged in the wave of drug dealing blacks, unlicenced latvians and crroked triad members we now share our little island with.

[badinage]

Its no different to judges going easier on people because they're working class (its widely believed that many judges apply a kind of reverse snobbery, viewing working class violence as a product of society having failed the perpetrator, while viewing middle class violence as inexcusable thuggery).

I believe also that judges are now required by law to take drug-addiction into account as a mitigating factor (meaning in practice, that non-jukies are treated harsher than junkies)

[Zhirkov]

As I feared, the first response is from an anti-immigration loony (who cites the Evening Herald, of all rags, as justification for his posts). How long 'til Desmond shows up?

Is it "loony" to be anti-immigration?
What news sources are quotable, Green?

[Catalpa]

We should sack these useless judges and replace them with better ones.

Makes you think though that if this report is true* that to be a White person in Ireland is to be treated as a second class citizen!

Keep your ears open folks for the massive silence that will now follow from the PC nutters on this!

Especially SF and their so called 'Ireland of the Equals'

* Can't say I've seen any myself though.

[stringjack]

Ah...the good old fashioned ad hominem attack. Part and parcel of irish life and not yet submerged in the wave of drug dealing blacks, unlicenced latvians and crroked triad members we now share our little island with.

You were having such a good day.

[Zhirkov]

Did the judge say anything about deporting this man on his release from prison?