Among the accused was, for instance, Laura Johnson, the 19-year-old daughter of a successful company director. She lives in a detached converted farmhouse in Orpington, Kent, with extensive grounds and a tennis court.

She is an English and Italian undergraduate at Exeter, favourite of the Boden-wearing classes. Before that, she attended St Olave’s Grammar, the fourth-best state school in the country, and its sister school, Newstead Wood, gaining nine GCSE A grades and four A*s.

At St Olave’s, she studied A-levels in French, English literature, geography and classical civilisation. Yesterday, at Highbury, she was accused of something slightly less civilised – looting the Charlton Curry’s superstore of electrical goods worth £5,000.

Now then Ms Harriet Harman, could you explain to me exactly how the “trebling of tuition fees; the taking away of the education maintenance allowance; or ‘the cuts’ actually impacted on the loathsome Ms Laura Johnson?

Perhaps the example of Politicians smashing voters trust and grabbing whatever financial advantage they could from the expenses pot had more to do with Ms Johnson’s belief that £5,000 worth of ‘free’ electrical goods was her entitlement in life?

(She had better get sentenced to longer than Charlie Gilmour, or even I might find myself a supporter of the free Gilmour campaign.)

zaphod August 12, 2011 at 21:45

There will always be opportunist thieves and vandals among us.

This was just a big opportunity. Occasionally that happens.

Nothing has changed. Nothing special needs to be done.

Elena ‘andcart
August 12, 2011 at 05:32

Oh Yes. I can just see that lot from Broadwater Farm clammering to get into
University.
Such a pity so many of them didn’t learn to read and write when
their education was offered for free.

Cascadian August 11, 2011 at 19:06

I don’t believe opportunism has anything to do with this crime, posh girls
from Orpington have no need to be shopping in Charlton.

I would investigate very closely her club memberships and affiliations at
Exeter Univ. I would expect like many impressionable sloans she has fallen in
with the black bloc. (Just like charlie gilmour).

While I despise shiftless Jamaican yoof there are a good many others taking
advantage of these disturbances, honing their skills. An example (I believe)
is the torching of the furniture store in Croydon a totally senseless act
unless one just has causing mayhem on their agenda.

Wigner’s Friend
August 14, 2011 at 16:34

It seems possible that the furniture store blaze was a diversion to free
up more lucrative options.

Simon Cooke August
11, 2011 at 16:25

Unless the world has changed St Olave’s is a boys school – I guess she went
to Newstead (plus some shared sixth form stuff).

More seriously, we found exactly the same pattern in Bradford – plenty of
the poor deprived rioters were employed, and employed in good, professional
jobs. The man who burned down Manningham Labour Club with 23 people cowering
in the cellar was a 48 year old garage and car wash owner

JuliaM August
11, 2011 at 17:43

Just sheer opportunism seems to be the case with a lot of the looting, if
not the rioting…

Joe Public
August 11, 2011 at 19:45

But Julia, they weren’t ‘Riots’, they were ‘Disturbances’.

If the former, all taxpayers pick up the tab; if the latter, it’s the
Insurance Companies (i.e. the ones who collected the premiums) which
payout.

Furor
Teutonicus August 14, 2011 at
12:24

XX But Julia, they weren’t ‘Riots’, they were ‘Disturbances’.XX

Or “Protests” as they were described by the commy scum run “media”
here.

nonomad August 11, 2011 at 14:46

Dave K
My thoughts exactly ,the NUJ black committee is obviously having
effect,since the first night of riots there has been a conspicous attempt to
show anyone who’s not black in all the media ,yes there have been plenty of
other hues joining in ,but this started as a black problem or has everyone
forgotten Mr Duggan and the protest march .
And now we have the “leaders ”
of our country pontificating from a position of weakness morally the’ve all
been at it all thats missing is Keith Vaz.

JuliaM August
11, 2011 at 17:39

They’re not having much of an effect at the ‘Mail’ then; when I looked at
their mugshot article this afternoon I had to turn up the brightness on my
monitor to see any discernible features!

nonomad August 12, 2011 at 10:19

Try Telegraph ,Sun ,Guardian ???

DaveK August 11, 2011 at 12:20

The linked article and others like it feel to me like propaganda. They
strive to convince me that what my eyes saw on television for the last four
nights was wrong.

At first there was a deluge of deprivation excuses, now suddenly it wasn’t
true the rioters were all working folk and toffs.

Perhaps the cases are being cherry picked to defuse the situation.

Cynical Dave

Gildas the Monk
August 11, 2011 at 11:29

I thought Boden just made things for the kitchen. Didn’t know they fitted
out the Sloans. The things you learn here!

Michael
Fowke August 11, 2011 at 11:13

The politicians are just as bad as the looters – that’s the sad and scary
thing.

JuliaM August
11, 2011 at 11:38

At least the politicians haven’t burnt businesses and homes down.

Not in this country at least….

Michael
Fowke August 11, 2011 at 13:14

No, not in this country. That’s something to be thankful for, I
suppose.

Jose August 11, 2011 at 13:32

Yes but they have ‘managed’ to avoid prosecuting a large number of
‘thieving’ colleagues! The politicians, the looters and the bankers all
come from the same pot….grab as much as you can until you’re caught.

Lord Snooty
August 11, 2011 at 16:19

Metaphorically speaking they have.

What is the difference of a looting Chav and a looting Politician? Not
as gnat’s bawhair between them.

The MPs do not need to ram raid a Currys, they just screw us with their
expenses and don’t give Tinker’s Toss as they believe they above the law,
like the rioters.

Especially those, Cameron, Boris and Gideon who as members the
Bullingdon Club trashed restaurants, at the very least.

Funnily enough, no riots reported in Wales or Scotland and Norn Iron is
actually relatively quitet.

There is a lot more of this going to happen in England.

Furor
Teutonicus August 14, 2011 at 12:22

Not since General Wade, anyway.

Ed P August 11, 2011 at 10:49

The black sheep* of Sheepcote Manor!

* In case of idiotic reactions, this is a shepherding term, not a racist
one.

boulay August 11, 2011 at 10:56

don’t be afraid to call a spade a spade.

oops.

Caedmon’s
Cat August 11, 2011 at 11:06

Or to call a chav a chav. It appears that chavdom is not confined to
the lower echelons. Isn’t that right, Mr Cameron? http://t.co/EX8pSFe

Talwin August 11, 2011 at 10:46

Just as Gilmore, when appearing in court, metamorphosed from classical
anarchist stereotype to innocent Harry Potter look-a-like, no doubt Laura will
be sporting virginal white clobber and ‘national health’ spectacles.

Equally doubtless that, just like the repellant Gilmore, she will fool no
one.

JuliaM August
11, 2011 at 11:34

Bet she fools the judge!

thespecialone
August 11, 2011 at 15:38

There is an old St Trinians film whereby the older girls (6th form) are
in court and one stands there in school uniform and the standard stockings
and high heels flirting with the judge. Maybe Laura Johnson will try to
woo the judge over like that. She is a loathsome character though and I
really don’t care if her future is ruined. She knows that what she did is
theft. End of. No sob stories. Prison.