“And just what does the price of fish have to do with depression, domestic violence, child abuse or all the other social problems people would rather deal with too late and label criminality?

Afterall, this is the age of austerity, and although we can afford a military campaign in Libya to replace a dictatorship with anarchy, a massive sports fest in London and a much increased military presence around a rock in the South Atlantic we cannot possibly afford social services. Anyone who suggests we can is a socialist dinosaur - there's the money to find for a diamond jubilee yet, we can hardly go wasting cash!

A wiser man than me (and not a socialist) said a society should be judged not by how it treats it's highest, but how it treats it's lowest. Not a beret wearing socialist either but very probably one of your heroes when he's on message...

WS Churchill.”

“Abused wives will have to try harder soon no doubt."

And just what exactly does that have to do with the price of fish, pray? I'm giving you an golden opportunity for a glorious exposition here, comrade; don't waste it, I'm joining in with your socialist spirit of sharing etc.”

“That's because you have no grasp of depression bud. What? Pull themselves together? Feeling a bit down is not being depressed!

Just symptomatic of the way the country is going. Abused wives will have to try harder soon no doubt.”

“When I'm depressed, Woz, I don't try to set fire to where I live.”

“Wivens, the guys ill mate, it's not been brought on by the way he lives his life, he can not help it.”

“Arson - the crime of maliciously, voluntarily, and wilfully setting fire to the building, buildings, or other property of another or of burning one's own property for an improper purpose. Mental capacity or deficiency doesn't come into it. That counts as mitigation, not definition.”

“I'm pleased to read the sympathetic attitudes displayed by the previous three posters. Where are the usual suspects? Must have been watching box sets of 'Hitler's Generals' or out gassing badgers when this was published.”

“England 2012!!! - This poor man who has obviously had problems since an early age is now classed as a criminal or an "arsonist" as the Sentinel so sympathetically describes him. You would not call a person who tries to slash their own wrists a knife wielding maniac. Conversely you shouldn't call an obviously mentally ill man an arsonist for setting light to his own bed. I don't think for one minute he had the mental capacity to think he was doing harm or causing danger to anyone but himself. Just think before you write Sentinel.”

“@ dogmaster, I agree entirely with what you say. When the Tories closed down all the psychiatric hospitals their only thought was how much money could be made by selling off the land to property developers. They lied about care in the community - it doesn't exist. Mental illness hasn't gone away nor have the sufferers, but the treatment and support they need and deserve has vanished. Thousands of people, male and female, who would previously have been treated in psychiatric hospitals are now languishing in prison and their number has just been increased by one. Where are all the mental health groups (such as MIND), you would think their voice would be heard, but it seems that like so many of their ilk they are satisfied to keep the money rolling in to add to their already swollen coffers. Why will no-one take up the baton and run with it for the rights of people with mental illness.”

“Now that is a person who needs treatment and would have gone to ST Edwards Hospital before the vandals closed it, and yet others who should get a prison sentence get off ,
He is just one of thousands in prison who would/should have been in hospital, come now you have got to be ill to set yourself on fire,"admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered." that says it all he was not concerned about his own life. What good will being locked up for 2 years do him? Care in the community my bum.”