# University shooting massacre averted in the UK **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 27, 2015, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-shooting-massacre-averted-in-the-uk/732680 "2015-09-27T10:40:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-shooting-massacre-averted-in-the-uk/732680/81 "2015-09-28T12:10:21Z")
And really we informally refer to all educational institutions as “school,” so this could have easily been called a “school shooting.” ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-shooting-massacre-averted-in-the-uk/732680/82 "2015-09-28T14:51:04Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > The life sentence, though, for having a bizarre fantasy life and hoarding some weapons, without ever harming anyone, is a wild overreaction. Physician, heal thyself. You live in the US, so complaining about some other country’s draconian sentencing schemes is ridiculous (and Liburd would have received a very similar sentence in any US jurisdiction), absent the gun charges. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-shooting-massacre-averted-in-the-uk/732680/83 "2015-09-28T14:56:12Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Physician, heal thyself. You live in the US, so complaining about some other country’s draconian sentencing schemes is ridiculous (and Liburd would have received a very similar sentence in any US jurisdiction), absent the gun charges. I gave the example, upthread, of a KKK leader who not just made the explosive devices, but detonated them and taught others to do the same, and tampered with witnesses. Received a milder (well deserved) sentence than the Brit. Again, life sentence for someone who not just did not harm anyone but did not help anyone harm anyone is absolutely ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-shooting-massacre-averted-in-the-uk/732680/84 "2015-09-28T15:11:31Z")
Hull was never charged for building explosive devices himself, and was not threatening any imminent violence. It’s a completely different case. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-shooting-massacre-averted-in-the-uk/732680/85 "2015-09-28T16:00:05Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > I gave the example, upthread, of a KKK leader who not just made the explosive devices, but detonated them and taught others to do the same, and tampered with witnesses. Received a milder (well deserved) sentence than the Brit. > > Again, life sentence for someone who not just did not harm anyone but did not help anyone harm anyone is absolutely ridiculous. [This might help you out](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9519172/Electrician-built-and-blew-up-home-made-bombs-for-fun.html). Someone else making bombs and setting them off for fun. No threat, no malice and milder sentence than the KKK guy. No witness tampering involved but I can’t find an exact equivalent. in a nutshell, 15 month supervision order (a mild form of house arrest) and 150 hours of community service. So…are we more or less draconian that the USA now? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-shooting-massacre-averted-in-the-uk/732680/86 "2015-09-28T17:05:31Z")
All in all, still, “life”, with an 8 year minimum, does seem odd to those of us used to the American system, if only because that minimum also sounds too low for something meriting a “life” sentence. I could see a case of “8 years and then we may keep you ‘under care’ until we’re sure you’re safe to go”, but this just goes to show the differences in legal systems. Let’s not forget the Americans who were aghast that Norway gave a mass murderer “only” 21 years in prison and then psych observation. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-shooting-massacre-averted-in-the-uk/732680/87 "2015-09-29T07:32:34Z")
> [@Eliahna](#): > > [Liam Lyburd who planned 'Columbine-style killing' is jailed for 8 years | Daily Mail Online](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3248889/Teenage-loner-bought-handgun-bullets-pipe-bombs-dark-web-amass-Columbine-style-kill-bag-bedroom-jailed-eight-years.html) He built some of the things himself, but not the guns. He would have had to go out to buy them. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-shooting-massacre-averted-in-the-uk/732680/88 "2015-09-29T12:49:25Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > He built some of the things himself, but not the guns. He would have had to go out to buy them. Different article: [Newcastle teen Liam Lyburd found guilty of planning massacre at former college | Daily Mail Online](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3180181/Teenage-misfit-guilty-planning-massacre-former-college.html) _Using the ID ‘Donald Trump’ on the Evolution market place website, he bought the Glock frame from Austria and the gun’s other parts from Turkey and the US, before he then had them shipped to his Newcastle home._ ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-shooting-massacre-averted-in-the-uk/732680/89 "2015-09-29T14:10:00Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > All in all, still, “life”, with an 8 year minimum, does seem odd to those of us used to the American system, if only because that minimum also sounds too low for something meriting a “life” sentence. I think you’d be surprised at how quickly life inmates can be paroled in the US. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-shooting-massacre-averted-in-the-uk/732680/90 "2015-09-30T11:18:49Z")
> [@Eliahna](#): > > Different article: [Newcastle teen Liam Lyburd found guilty of planning massacre at former college | Daily Mail Online](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3180181/Teenage-misfit-guilty-planning-massacre-former-college.html) > > _Using the ID ‘Donald Trump’ on the Evolution market place website, he bought the Glock frame from Austria and the gun’s other parts from Turkey and the US, before he then had them shipped to his Newcastle home._ I stand corrected, then, and feel more sympathy for the dude. I’m also somewhat surprised that he was able to order those items without a red flag being raised. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-shooting-massacre-averted-in-the-uk/732680.md?page=4)