25.2.15 Sex With a Postbox

Drunk man who admitted trying to have sex with a postbox is found dead, weeks after appearing in court 

• Body of Paul Bennett, 45, found behind Chinese restaurant in Wigan
• Death comes weeks after he was made to sign Sex Offenders Register
• Court heard woman spotted him performing sex act and shouting 'wow'
• Death not said to be suspicious. Source said drugs could be involved

This headline in today's Mail online is particularly odd, yet suitably displays the complete fucking mess the country is in.  As if it was not sad enough that someone could be so drunk as to try and have sex with a pillar box, the judiciary then decided that the appropriate sentence for this drunken behaviour included the need for the 45-year-old bloke to sign the sex offenders register. I am positive that the objectives behind the setting up of the register did NOT include its use to note incidents that were simple drunk-and-disorderly capers. Yes, rubbing yourself on a pillar box is hardly appropriate behaviour, but are we really expected to believe that this silly act while pissed necessitated enrollment on a register that contains details of all sorts of low life and perverts?

There have been three "crimes" here.

1 - The drunken behaviour of a man
2 - The sad reporting of the "incident" by an up-her-arse woman (was she perhaps jealous of the post box) as if the act was detrimental to anyone at all; get a life, and moan instead about something to do with television and the watershed.
3 - The ludicrous decision to force the man to sign the sex offenders register after the embarrassment of an "indecent exposure" conviction was deemed insufficient.

The least offensive of the three is number one; number two then trumps number one for offensiveness, and finally, number three shows the most offensive action of all.

How sad that a few weeks later, the man is found dead.  Will we ever know what effect the magistrates' decision really had?  In the report, I note two further things:

One - The court heard that after the rubbing against the post box and the offender calling out "Wow", he pulled up his pants, checked his reflection and left.  Why was that not the end of it, really?
Two - Alongside the sentence of a 12-month community order and being made to sign the sex offenders register, he had to pay the woman who witnessed the incident £50, court costs of £150 AND a "Victim Surcharge" of £60.  That must have been for the post box!

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