Mandatory Sentences Appear to be Working Against Alcohol-Fuelled Violence

The Sydney Morning Herald today spoke to Gordian Fulde, the head of Emergency Services at Sydney’s St. Vincent’s Hospital, who said that the number of alcohol-related injuries in his department has fallen by half since NSW introduced the tough new laws.

“The absolute decrease in severe head injuries has been spectacular and terrific,” Fulde said. “We’ve definitely seen a very marked decrease in as far as we’ve had hardly any severe brain injuries from alcohol-fuelled violence.”

Fulde praised the new laws, as well as the increased police presence in the notorious Kings Cross area, for helping to change people’s attitudes, but said that the coming summer months will test the true effectiveness of mandatory sentencing as a deterrent. 

Though evidence on the ground suggests assaults in the area are on the decline, some are still critical of the laws. Ros Everett of the Law Society of NSW says that increased policing, rather than mandatory sentences for one-punch assaults, has been the real deterrent.

Everett maintains that the one-punch law should be repealed, “because mandatory sentencing can lead to very unfair results.”

Earlier this week, Thomas Kelly’s killer Kieran Loveridge had his sentences for manslaughter and assault extended on appeal, and he will likely be imprisoned until at least 2026.

Image via Sky News