Richard Madeley has launched a scathing attack on the UK's criminal justice system, arguing that it has degenerated into a "dog's breakfast of institutional failure, feebleness, outright cowardice and general, utter uselessness." Writing in his Express column, Madeley says the law-abiding public can only stand and watch, "appalled, infuriated, and very often scared stiff."
Concurrent sentencing criticised
Madeley focuses on the "curse" of concurrent sentencing, which he says was introduced not to serve justice but to ease prison overcrowding. He uses the example of two murders committed on different days, arguing that logic would dictate serving sentences consecutively, but under current policy, they are served at the same time. "This is two murders for the price of one, pure and simple," he writes.
He contrasts this with his experience filming in El Salvador's CECOT maximum security prison, where killers, rapists, and torturers serve multiple life sentences consecutively, some stretching for hundreds of years. When he told officials about the UK's concurrent sentencing policy, they "genuinely thought I was making it up," and upon realising he wasn't, touched their temples and said "Loco! Demente!"
Bail and court appearances
Madeley also criticises the "utterly random operation of bail," noting that TV licence non-payers can be remanded in custody, while multiple rapists and sex killers like Simon Levy, jailed on a full-life term this week, murdered two women and raped and almost killed a third while out on bail for multiple sex attacks. He calls this "close to institutional wickedness."
He questions why criminals are allowed to refuse to appear in the dock, suggesting judges should order them to be present, shackled if need be, and give immediate six-month prison terms for any outbursts. He also criticises allowing killers and violent domestic abusers to walk free early because prisons are full, referring back to the El Salvador officials: "Loco! Demente!"
Susan George interview
Madeley also reveals he conducted his first newspaper interview in years with actress Susan George at her Arabian horse farm in Somerset. George and photographer Brian Aris are finishing a book called "Smile," a collection of images from 1969 to the present, featuring George with partners including singer Jack Jones and her late husband, actor Simon MacCorkindale. Madeley says the interview will appear in full in the Daily Express soon, and promises the photos "will knock your socks off."
Finally, Madeley shares a photo of multiple eclipse images thrown onto his garage door by nature's "pinhole camera" on Wednesday evening just after 7pm, noting that before astronomy, ancient peoples had no warning and eclipses "scared the life out of them."
