Nicky Reilly Jailed For Life

Last October, I reported on this blog that Nicky Reilly had admitted an attempted suicide bombing and discussed the conclusions that people might draw about his actions and his Asperger syndrome. Reilly additionally has a learning disability.

His mum quite rightly pointed out that Nicky ought to be receiving the attention of the caring services rather than the prison service. But today we have the news that he has been sentenced to life in prison for attempted murder, to serve a minimum of eighteen years.

I didn't sit through the court proceedings, and I hold no brief for Islamist bombers and those who excuse them, but we have to ask ourselves Is this the best that our society can do?! If the best that our judicial system can do with someone on the autisitc spectrum and with a learning disability giving him a 'mental age' of ten is to lock him up in a prison for the rest of his life, then something is very very wrong.