A student who admitted throwing a fire extinguisher from the roof of a central London building during the student fees protests has been jailed. Edward Woollard, 18, from Hampshire, was among protesters who broke into the Tory party headquarters and emerged on the roof on 10 November. He was jailed for two years and eight months after admitting at an earlier hearing to committing violent disorder. Police said his actions "could have resulted in catastrophic injury". The student, who hoped to be the first member of his family to go on to higher education, was filmed throwing an empty metal fire extinguisher from the seventh-floor of 30 Millbank as hundreds of people gathered in a courtyard below. Judge Geoffrey Rivlin said "It is deeply regrettable, indeed a shocking thing, for a court to have sentence a young man such as you to a substantial term of custody." In a police statement read to the court, Woollard apologised for his actions, saying: "When I was told I had potentially endangered people, I felt sick. In a statement, Brockenhurst College said: "The college views what occurred as extremely serious and Edward Woollard has been on permanent exclusion since the incident." Woollard was told that he would serve at least half of his sentence for violent disorder in a young offenders institution. Cdr Bob Broadhurst, the Metropolitan Police's head of public order, said the sentence was "a significant period of imprisonment" which would have "a significant impact" on Woollard's future.
Reaction:
The way that Edward Woollard behave during the student fees protest was definitely not right but he wasn’t the only one who behave this was. Other students were also very violent during the protest and they didn’t receive such a severe sentence. I understand that what Woollard did was indeed very dangerous because he could have injured o killed someone by throwing the fire extinguisher from that building. I think this was a mistake and that he is really sorry for what he did because he wasn’t thinking on the consequences. I think that the court was too hard on Woollard and I hope that his sentence will be reduced by good behavior.
If what they say is correct, that he could have killed some one with his actions, then I think he should be punished properly. However, I agree with you that if he shows good behaviour the sentence should be reduced. But overall I think that this mishap should not be taken lightly. And by making an example of some one you can prevent much more crime and suffer.
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