Damon Smith Bomb

[Dynamics]

I can't believe a jury has convicted a man with aspergers as a credible bomber for putting together a prank bomb that would never have 'gone off', from what I've read. It would have just fizzed.

The guy clearly has Aspergers and didn't understand the effects of his actions on possibly causing distress to passengers, but I think he didn't design it to explode as the horrendous BBC have made out. These people with Aspergers tend to be very focused on one subject, so I suspect he knew more about it not being a real bomb than any of the prosecution counsel.

It never ceases to amaze me how people with these type conditions get poorly dealt with. He is just a kid who probably just needs a bit more supervision. But instead his life will be changed forever and I suspect he will go to prison. Quite horrendous.

[Puffin]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-39796094

I am struggling with how you differentiate between this guy and others, say those radicalised who do similar things or the "loner" who has a fixation with guns/knives etc. Don't they all have mental health issues?

[martian sunrise]

I agree. The article says he admitted it was a prank, therefore he knew there would. E consequences

[Dynamics]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-39796094

I am struggling with how you differentiate between this guy and others, say those radicalised who do similar things or the "loner" who has a fixation with guns/knives etc. Don't they all have mental health issues?

That there are people in society who intentionally do us harm like jihadists and that guy on Westminster bridge, then there are people who probably need society to help them more. Drug addicts, people like Damon Smith who did not intend harm, fall in that catergory.

He didn't know there would be consequences. He didn't know what he was doing, with his Aspergers. His mother even shouted down from the balcony in court, 'he has aspergers, he didn't know what he was doing'. He was smiling through his interview with the police. This is just a vulnerable man.

The case of the British man who tried to shoot trump was let off in the states. This Mr Smith needs his freedom but supervision too (that's where society comes in), and society doesn't recognise that, only often what the BBC write which is utter bs.

[Dynamics]

And now he gets 15 years. Quite a shameful politicised legal system we have. Making an example of a boy with Aspergers who didn't even know what effect it would cause to others by planting a fake bomb. But this wasn't even a bomb to 'go off'.

What they probably have conflated is his ability to work out if he knew the 'bomb' he was making was one which would 'go off' or not and hurt people. But people with aspergers are very knowledageble about certain topics, as I understand he was with science and knowledge to make 'bombs'. But as he didn't know, why would they criminalise him,

But the very lack of comment by the media is tantamount to the marginalisation of those with mental health issues,

[struth]

he knew what he was doing and wasnt stupid, aspergers or not. he is a danger to society..end of

[Dynamics]

He wasn't making a bomb to kill, he made a 'bomb' to fizz. I believe he had capacity to realise this with technical skill, having Aspergers, but not mental skill to realise it's not ok to prank a bomb. he isn't a danger to society. But people just believe what they read in the papers without finding out about what his legal team say on the facts. I believe this was a highly politicised decision in the current climate. He is just a kid who needs supervision in society. He is not a terrorist.

[struth]

Totally disagree... He made and planted an explosive device to create terror and on a subway could have killed(the fact it didnt work as planned is not the point). he was into terrorism and islam. He was at university showing enough ability to know what and how things work. Irrelevant to your opinion, he was rightly deemed a danger to the public.

[southall-1998]

Hope he rots in jail! Nasty little prick.

S.

[sq225917]

Hard to judge without first hand knowledge of his mental state and technical ability. It's easy to assume he's just a weak and vulnerable kid with no concept of cause and effect.

Bear in mind my boss has aspergers, and he setup and runs a £20,000,000 turnover business. It all comes down to how bad he's affected.

If the verdict or sentence are unsound or disproportionate they'll be revised on appeal.

[Macca]

You've got to think he was psychologically evaluated before being deemed fit to stand trial. Of course if he had failed that they would still be locking him up one way or another.

[stairpost]

He said he did it as a prank, that suggests he has some understanding of the fact that people would react to it.