Extraordinary Student Could Be Spared Jail

A headline in my paper yesterday proclaimed that an “extraordinary” student, Lavinia Woodward, could be spared jail for stabbing her boyfriend.  This was because the judge had remarked on Lavinia’s “extraordinary talent” and that a prison sentence would damage her career.  Poor Lavinia, who suffers from drug addiction, has admitted to a charge of unlawful wounding.  Apparently, the extraordinary Lavinia met a chap on a dating website and subsequently, during a drink and drug-fuelled row, punched him, swiped at him with a bread knife before stabbing him in the leg and hurling a laptop and a jam jar at him.  The judge has delayed sentencing because he wants to give Lavinia time to show that she is conquering her cocaine habit.

Some years ago, when I was in charge of a training unit responsible for converting pilots to fly a large passenger carrying aircraft, I was presented with a candidate for training who had a history, amongst other pilot character flaws, of recklessly crashing his aircraft and endangering the lives of his crew.  Call me old-fashioned if you like but, given that there was not exactly a shortage of volunteers to fly this wonderful aircraft, I refused to accept this candidate for training.  I admit that I have got form in this department.  When I was a flying examiner, I withdrew an instructors licence to teach schoolboys because he was not safe.  I did a similar thing to an instructor at Doncaster Aero Club after he became lost only 5 minutes into the check flight. When my boss wanted a quick conversion to the Station Chipmunk aircraft, I slowed him down because he was over-confident of his limited ability. I had the courage to find a Royal pilot negligent and I suspended an entire crew who landed their transport aircraft at the wrong airfield in Turkey.  At no time did I consider whether the effect of my actions would be to limit the career of my subject – I was only interested in safety and the good order and discipline of the Service.  And always, at the back of my mind, was the thought of how I would explain to little Johnny’s mother, a grieving widow or family that I had over-looked misdemeanour, failed to maintain standards, or otherwise neglected my duty to safeguard the lives of colleagues.  Doubtless all the above would argue that disciplinary sanction would damage their careers as pilots but that certainly did not prevent me from sleeping at nights – on the contrary.

But back to Lavinia and 21^st Century attitudes to rehabilitation.  I am sure we all agree that everyone deserves a second chance and that the indiscretions of youth should be kept in perspective? On the other hand, she is a cocaine addict and it is possible that her mental state, even post kicking the habit (I wish her well), may not be as it should be.  Again, I will declare a personal interest in this problem having seen what drugs can do to young lives and careers.  Even so, the system bending over backwards to prove their modern social credentials will do everything possible to give her a second chance.  I just wonder whether, if Lavinia’s extraordinary talent was destined for, say, derivatives trading in the City of London, the system would be so lenient and accommodating for her future? Perhaps not.  Which brings me to the really extraordinary thing about this case (apart from a lamentable abuse of a privileged education) - Lavinia aspires to be a heart surgeon!