Australia: Only 12 months for rapist teacher

A TEACHER who molested and raped children could be freed after serving only 12 months of a five year jail sentence following a failed bid by Queensland's top prosecutor to have the sentence increased. Warren David Schneider, 39, was sentenced to five years jail in October after pleading guilty in the Brisbane District Court to 12 offences involving four students. The offences included maintaining a sexual relationship with a child, rape and seven counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16 under care.

Schneider will be eligible for parole after serving just 12 months of the sentence, despite admitting to molesting three Year 8 and Year 9 girls at Redeemer Lutheran College at Rochedale, in Brisbane's south, between 2000 and 2002. He also admitted molesting a girl in his first teaching position at Prince of Peace Lutheran College at Everton Hills, in Brisbane's north, in 1994. The crimes included digital rape and the giving and receiving of oral sex. Schneider was arrested for these offences shortly after serving five months for indecent acts that included performing naked cartwheels in front of students at a school camp in 2002.

Earlier this month Mr Shine appealed the latest sentence, arguing that it was "manifestly inadequate". Barrister Michael Copely argued Schneider's behaviour was "determined and persistent", and was conducted over a protracted period of time. Mr Copely also told the Court of Appeal in Brisbane that Schneider had abused a position of trust and that he had threatened one of his victims.

However in a split decision the Court of Appeal today dismissed Mr Shine's request that Schneider's sentence be increased to seven years, with parole eligibility after two years. Two out of three of the judges rejected the appeal, stating Schneider had a "favourable prognosis of rehabilitation" that would benefit more from a long period of community-based supervision with treatment than from an increased jail term. "In the end, we are not persuaded that the sentence, though compassionate to (Schneider), was so manifestly inadequate as to justify this court's interference," the written judgment stated.

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English court lets dangerous maniac go free

Another example of Britain's very peculiar justice system. This guy goes free but speaking ill of Muslims or homosexuals is a REALLY serious offence

An English court has freed a teenager who drove up to speeds of 210kmh [130 mph] in his car while filming himself. Danny Hyde, 18, had one hand on the wheel of his Vauxhall Astra while holding his mobile phone to capture his joyride near Ipswich in south-east England, the Daily Mail reported. He then posted the clip on YouTube under the heading "Danny's Badboy Astra".

Mr Hyde's lawyer, Neil Saunders, described him to the court as being "full of remorse". "It would be a great shame for what was a minute's madness," he said. "The consequences of that stupid moment would be absolutely horrendous. "He would lose his liberty, lose his job and lose his career."

Mr Hyde pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving last month, but was given a four-month month prison sentence suspended for 18 months yesterday, the Daily Mail reported. He was also ordered to complete 210 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for 18 months.

A YouTube spokesman told the Daily Mail that the website monitors and takes down dangerous footage. "We have a very successful flagging system on YouTube that lets users alert us to inappropriate content," he said.

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