Judges told to slap harshest sentences on teen thugs who brag about acid attacks on social media
JUDGES have been told to slap the “highest possible sentence” on teenage thugs who brag about acid attacks on social media.
Humiliating victims by uploading details, films or images of incidents where they threaten others with the corrosive liquid should lead to harsher punishments, the Sentencing Council said.
It came as acid was specifically included in guidelines about sentences for possession or threatening with a knife or offensive weapon for the first time.
The Council said uploading films of a crime on websites such as Facebook or Twitter should be seen as an aggravating factor when sentencing defendants.
Teenagers should face a minimum four months, the council added.
And for the first time it said adults caught in possession of acid spray should face up to three years behind bars.
The Council sits under the Ministry of Justice and aims to promote “greater consistency” in the courtroom.
The guidance follows an outcry over an explosion in acid attacks and fatal stabbings over the past year.
MoJ figures have also highlighted that judges are flouting a law demanding a mandatory jail term for anyone caught for repeat knife possession.
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Justice Minister Rory Stewart last night said: “I welcome these new guidelines by the Sentencing Council.
“Knives ruin lives and fracture communities – and carrying a weapon is often an indicator of further devastating crimes to come.
“We must equally recognise the emerging threat of other weapons, such as acid, and those caught with any offensive weapon must feel the full force of the law.”