Strange priorities

I AM a detective garda with 32 years service, and I am only too well aware of the many youths serving prison sentences for carrying steak or Stanley knives in suspicious circumstances.

We have others (and I have prosecuted some of them) serving time for carrying out robberies while using toy guns. The courts recognised that the victims of these crimes were terrified and rightly imposed custodial sentences. Now how can thugs who went out armed with military assault rifles weapons with only one use, which is to kill people expect to be released. How can some politicians have the audacity to campaign for their release.

John Riordan