Runningman Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 If the gentleman is innocent i.e. they catch the person and they have the necessary evidence, not circumstantial, then has the poor guys life been completely destroyed by both the Police and the Press ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greybeard Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I do like the way the media have managed to manipulate this one. What the police actually said was: Ch Supt John Stratford, of Avon and Somerset Police, said patrols would be maintained to reassure the public. Mr Stratford said: "I can understand why the public in the local and wider Bristol area have concerns for their safety at the current time. Whoever killed Joanna remains at large. "However, I want to reassure the public that at this time there is no specific intelligence or information to suggest an increased threat to their safety. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12105327 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiglet Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Ch Supt John Stratford, of Avon and Somerset Police, said patrols would be maintained to reassure the public. Mr Stratford said: "I can understand why the public in the local and wider Bristol area have concerns for their safety at the current time. Whoever killed Joanna remains at large. "However, I want to reassure the public that at this time there is no specific intelligence or information to suggest an increased threat to their safety. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12105327 What I meant was, they've quoted "Lone women should avoid walking home alone after dark and householders should keep their premises secure and take care when answering the door to strangers" as a headline, omitting the context "Naturally we ask the public to continue to take the usual safety precautions". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andygardener Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 The "at large" thing is rather odd. They have arrested the landlord on suspicion of murder, then bailed him, then said the murderer remains "at large". Well clearly on police bail is not "at large" so I can only infer that they no longer consider him a murder suspect, so it would have been only reasonable of them to make that explicitly clear given all the negative attention he has had as a result of his arrest. Perhaps the early view that a small rural force was capable of dealing with this was not entirely well founded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titanic99 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 The "at large" thing is rather odd. They have arrested the landlord on suspicion of murder, then bailed him, then said the murderer remains "at large". Well clearly on police bail is not "at large" so I can only infer that they no longer consider him a murder suspect, so it would have been only reasonable of them to make that explicitly clear given all the negative attention he has had as a result of his arrest. Perhaps the early view that a small rural force was capable of dealing with this was not entirely well founded. Isn't the suspect technically "at large" though as he's free to move around (unless his bail conditions prevent this, or he is being watched). Whatever it is, let's hope the perpetrator is caught and convicted quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andygardener Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Isn't the suspect technically "at large" though as he's free to move around (unless his bail conditions prevent this, or he is being watched). Whatever it is, let's hope the perpetrator is caught and convicted quickly. No, at large means they are on the run in the case of an escapee or evading justice in terms of a suspect or persons unknown. Someone who has been bailed and complies with their bail conditions is not "at large" which either means the spokesman messed up big time or this guy is no longer a suspect. As to the second, I fully agree. Young lass with her life ahead of her, whoever did it needs catching and quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiglet Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 No, at large means they are on the run in the case of an escapee or evading justice in terms of a suspect or persons unknown. Someone who has been bailed and complies with their bail conditions is not "at large" which either means the spokesman messed up big time or this guy is no longer a suspect. As to the second, I fully agree. Young lass with her life ahead of her, whoever did it needs catching and quickly. I would actually define 'at large' as meaning 'within the community'. The police have no suspect for this crime in custody, therefore a murderer is 'at large'. I don't think we can construe any further meaning from it. Edit: In fact, the legal dictionary defines it as 'free from confinement', so it does mean just that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Having a suspect in custody doesn't alter the possibility that the murderer may still be at large, that's why they're called suspect and not perpetrator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadingNorth Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 It does confirm he was a suspect as the reason for his arrest was on suspicion of murder. I have known people in the past "arrested on suspicion of XYZ" when the only reason for the arrest was so the police could trawl his computer files without a warrant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadingNorth Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I would actually define 'at large' as meaning 'within the community'. Technically, perhaps true, but in practice a pointless definition. Nobody refers to an innocent person being at large. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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