Gambling Violence

SavySeph's manga referred to a case in Scotland where a man was given life sentence for causing violence in a betting shop. After losing £200 Mark Rutter, 40 smashed up a few machines and attacked two bookie shop's staff demanding to get back his money. He punched one man and injured the other with a pair of scissors then fled after taking £200 from the till in a William Hill's shop.

Rutter's case was seen as an angry punter losing control and resorted to violence. In another reported case of enraged punter using violence, David Brogan smashed up 4 machines with a hammer after losing £700 in a William Hill shop which I cover in my blog Beserk Addiction. Since nobody was hurt, Borgan got off the hook by paying compensation for the machine which he destroyed. In comparison Borgan's case differs significantly with Rutter.

• Borgan was a first time offender while Rutter had criminal history of criminal violence,
• There was no life threatening situation Borgan's case,
• Borgan destroyed property but hurt nobody,
• Rutter threaten staff and took money from the till.

Rutter case was deemed as robbery and thus had his previous offenses stacked against him. Jim Keegan QC, Rutter's defense, claimed that the gaming machines had sparked violence throughout Britain. He pointed out that many incidents were unreported because it would jeopardize the shop's business operations and admitted: "I don't say that excuses the level of violence which was used after the accused went across the counter and attacked the two men. But the machine was the catalyst". Keegan QC is trying to associate Rutters case to that of angry punters to divert it from being deemed as armed robbery resulting in life threatening injury but Judge Lord Uist was not convinced.

Looking at the merit of both cases they do not qualify as precedence. If Britain is serious about curbing the violence in Fixed Odds Betting Terminal (FBOT) premises that the former Treasury Minister fear will spill over to the High Streets, then cases similar to Beserk Addiction should be given a steep punishment to act as a deterrent.