Teen Forced to Pay Cop for Calling Him 'Fat'

[JAG]

From the news of the bemused...

Teen Forced to Pay Cop for Calling Him 'Fat'
Tue May 13, 2003 09:17 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Judges ordered a British teenager to pay $160 to a policeman for "mental anguish" after calling him "fat," the Daily Telegraph reported Tuesday.
The newspaper said policeman Jack Montague was on foot patrol with a colleague in Ulverston in northwest England when a drunken 17-year-old insulted him. Magistrates found the youth guilty of abusive behavior.

"Coppers have feelings too, and I'm glad that the magistrates have taken the unusual step of recognizing that," the paper quoted the police officer as saying.

The 5-foot, 8-inch officer weighs 196 pounds, the paper said.

"Sure, I enjoy the odd curry and a pint or two, but I am not fat at all. That's unfair," he said. "I play cricket for my local club and coach junior football, so if anything, I think I am quite sporty."

[Franklinnoble]

This sets a really, really bad precedent.

Oh, and 5'8" and 196# is fat.

[Fritz]

he could just have a colossal head

[AnalBumCover]

I'm 5'4" and 200# :( "FOFCers have feelings too."

But hey, I'm down from 215#! WooHoo! :D

BTW, whatever happened to that weight loss dynasty from the old board? It was just getting started when we moved.

ABC

[Fidatelo]

"I think I am quite sporty"? I've never heard a person refer to themself (or anyone else) as 'sporty'. It sounds something a Hyundai Tiburon would say if it could speak.

[revrew]

Originally posted by Franklinnoble
This sets a really, really bad precedent.


I'm going to stick my neck out and ask some questions that I'm thinking about but don't know if I fully support. I also have some questions for our English board members.

1. It said he was "a drunken 17-yr old". Now in the states, that would be illegal. Is there a drinking age in England? Or laws about public intoxication? My point is, if this kid was picked up for already breaking the law, it's not as if he were fined JUST for dissin' the cop.

2. Are policemen still prohibited (or is this just a lingering American myth?) from carrying firearms? If so, it seems protecting the respect of the police force would become a high priority. I could easily see "Submitting a police officer to public humiliation" as a reasonable misdemeanor.

Obviously, in the States we would go bonzo over "freedom of speech" issues, but under a different law enforcement system, couldn't that freedom be restricted from public libel or verbal abuse of a policeman?

I guess I don't see this as such a big deal.

[JeeberD]

Originally posted by revrew
1. It said he was "a drunken 17-yr old". Now in the states, that would be illegal. Is there a drinking age in England? Or laws about public intoxication? My point is, if this kid was picked up for already breaking the law, it's not as if he were fined JUST for dissin' the cop.

I'm not sure what it is in England, but in Germany the legal drinking age is 16. Of course, even if you're under 16 in Germany it's not hard to get alcohol. Drinking is a part of the culture over there, and not really frowned upon as it is here...

[Ryan S]

Originally posted by revrew
1. It said he was "a drunken 17-yr old". Now in the states, that would be illegal. Is there a drinking age in England? Or laws about public intoxication?

The minimum age for drinking alcohol in Britain is 18, though not many people take notice of this.

Originally posted by revrew
2. Are policemen still prohibited (or is this just a lingering American myth?) from carrying firearms?

Yes. Only specialist Armed Response Teams and policemen in Northern Ireland carry guns.

[cuervo72]

Originally posted by Fidatelo
"I think I am quite sporty"? I've never heard a person refer to themself (or anyone else) as 'sporty'. It sounds something a Hyundai Tiburon would say if it could speak.

Sporty Spice?

[AnalBumCover]

Originally posted by Fidatelo
"I think I am quite sporty"?

Is fellatio a sport?

[damnMikeBrown]

It was funny. I went to the UK in '93. My GF took me there, because she'd gone to boarding school in Kent & wanted to show me around. At any rate, a good number of her friends were throwing about attitude about guns & the culture of America permitting them. (note: other than that, they were extremely friendly)

All I really said was that I'd never seen an armed person (other than policeman) in my life, until I was at an airport in the UK. The cops there had sub-machine guns.

[Blackadar]

Originally posted by Franklinnoble

Oh, and 5'8" and 196# is fat.

Depends on your body style. I'm 5'8" and at 196 lbs, I can pretty much run up mountains and leg press over 550 lbs. BTW, Barry Sanders was 5'8" and 210 lbs. I wouldn't call him fat...

[Easy Mac]

Originally posted by AnalBumCover
Is fellatio a sport?

Depends on how big the girl is.

[tucker342]

ohhhh, poor baby... did the teen call you fat? ohhhhh...

[GoldenEagle]

I hate cops. I hate fat cops even worse.

A fat cop gave me my first speeding ticket....

I know, I know. Cops protect us which is great. I dont hate them Just dislike them when they pull me over for doing 2 over.

[McSweeny]

i wish some one would call me fat and give me 160 bucks

[JeeberD]

Hey McSweeny, you're fat!

Oh, sorry, but I'm not gonna do the money thing...

[McSweeny]

Originally posted by JeeberD
Hey McSweeny, you're fat!

Oh, sorry, but I'm not gonna do the money thing...

jokes on you! i'm not fat!

[JeeberD]

Sigh...but I am... :(