British man gets prison time in Trump attack case in Vegas

[webfact]

British man gets prison time in Trump attack case in Vegas

By KEN RITTER

 

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A British man diagnosed with mental illness was sentenced Tuesday to about four more months in a U.S. prison for trying to grab a police officer's gun in a plan to kill presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally last June in Las Vegas.

 

Michael Steven Sandford, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Mahan to one year and one day in prison with credit for time served and good behavior behind bars.

 

The sentence was about six months less than prosecutors sought, but the judge said Sandford will be deported when he's released.

 

Mahan blamed the June 18 attempt in a crowded Las Vegas strip casino ballroom on Sandford's mental illness, calling Sandford's effort a "goofy, crazy stunt" fueled by voices he thought he was hearing.

 

Sandford choked back tears as he stood wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, flanked by his lawyers while photos of his family were projected onto a large screen. Sandford's mother, father, grandmother and 4-year-old sister were in the courtroom.

 

"I know saying sorry is not enough," Sandford told the judge. "I don't want to hurt anyone. I wish I could make this better, I do."

 

"You're not alone," Mahan replied. "There are people out there who care about you."

 

Sandford's mother, Lynne Sandford of Dorking, England, told Mahan her son "made a very, very bad mistake."

 

"He needs to come home and get better," she said.

 

When Michael Sandford pleaded guilty in September to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and disrupting an official function, he told the judge he was being treated with the anti-psychotic medication risperidone.

 

His mother's lawyer in London, Saimo Chahal, has previously said Sandford suffers seizures, obsession-compulsion, anxiety and autism spectrum disorders, and that a psychiatrist determined that he was delusional at the time of the attempted attack.

 

"It's important you stay on your medication," Mahan told Sandford. "Your family's waiting for you. You want to get back to England."

 

Sandford has already served six months in jail since his arrest, and has about two months off for good behavior behind bars, prosecutor Daniel Schiess said. That means he could go free by mid-April.

 

Sandford could have faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted of both charges at a trial, and up to 30 years on the three charges he initially faced. One charge of being an illegal alien knowingly in possession of a firearm was dropped.

 

One of Sandford's lawyers, Ryan Norwood, said his client was happy with the sentence and wants to return to Britain as soon as possible.

 

The light is at the end of the tunnel here," Norwood said. "He's happy about that part of it."

 

Court documents said Sandford acknowledged telling a Las Vegas police officer that he wanted a Trump autograph and then used both hands to try to grab the officer's gun.

 

Sandford told a federal agent he arrived in Las Vegas two days before the campaign rally, rented a 9mm pistol and practiced shooting a gun for the first time in his life at a gun range.

 

Schiess told the judge that Sandford planned for more than a year to attack Trump, and considered using a rifle and a knife before deciding on a handgun.

 

It was not clear if Trump recognized a threat before officers escorted Sandford out of the 1,500-seat theater at the Treasure Island hotel-casino. But he noticed the commotion and thanked police as Sandford was ushered away.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-12-15

[geriatrickid]

I am not in favour of  jailing the mentally ill. However, in this case,  the accused has demonstrated a violent threat to others. While cruel and seemingly unfair, it  can be seen as a favour to the UK taxpayers. the convicted man will be detained at the US taxpayer's expense and UK nationals will be  safe from harm for 6 months. He will most likely be kept at a county jail in protective custody, so he should be ok. He will also be medicated, which will be even better.

[Strange]

9 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

He will most likely be kept at a county jail in protective custody, so he should be ok. He will also be medicated, which will be even better.

 

Negative. The whole reason he got this:

 

23 minutes ago, webfact said:

was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Mahan to one year and one day in prison

 

Is to put him in federal prison. Most of the time anything less than one year is county. Thats why they do 1 year plus 1 day. 

Highly, very highly doubt he will be in "protective custody". More than likely just regular gen-pop federal prison with a chance to get out early and be deported. 

[zaphod reborn]

Judge Mahan told the Brit, "We don't need any help with this one, he will fall on his own sword."

[klauskunkel]

Quote

seizures, obsession-compulsion, anxiety and autism spectrum disorders and delusional

he also has an accent

[Linzz]

5 hours ago, zaphod reborn said:

Judge Mahan told the Brit, "We don't need any help with this one, he will fall on his own sword."

 

Then the judge was wrong and should be stood down for making partisan false predictions

[dunroaming]

If it was accepted that he has mental problems why is he in jail and not a secure mental hospital?  Actually I don't know why I ask that, shouldn't expect any logic

[Toronto]

Sometime down the road, this chap will commit a more serious crime. I read today of an afghani fellow who raped and murdered a young girl in Germany. The same chap threw a young girl from a cliff in Corfu about 3 years ago. She lived and he got 10 years but was released after 1 year. This is madness. Europe is beautiful, but less so each passing moment. 

[steve187]

The man is the new Guy Fawkes, he also failed when it would have been nice if he had succeeded. 

[Grubster]

8 hours ago, Strange said:

 

Negative. The whole reason he got this:

 

 

Is to put him in federal prison. Most of the time anything less than one year is county. Thats why they do 1 year plus 1 day. 

Highly, very highly doubt he will be in "protective custody". More than likely just regular gen-pop federal prison with a chance to get out early and be deported. 

A federal prison is a lot nicer than most county jails by far.

[Strange]

1 minute ago, Grubster said:

A federal prison is a lot nicer than most county jails by far.

 

Probably better living conditions, as in not sleeping on a piss proof mat on the floor in a room with 50 other dudes, but its more dangerous as the inmates are a lot more likely to be violent/dangerous/gang members/rapists etc... 

[Jingthing]

Funny trump doesn't

1 hour ago, steve187 said:

The man is the new Guy Fawkes, he also failed when it would have been nice if he had succeeded. 

No comment! 

[Strange]

2 hours ago, dunroaming said:

If it was accepted that he has mental problems why is he in jail and not a secure mental hospital?  Actually I don't know why I ask that, shouldn't expect any logic

 

Because he's not crazy enough, meaning he was/is "there" enough for recovery.

 

People probably assume be must be completely nuts, but in reality he probably was a lot more "there" than he claims. He's getting off just about scott free/wrist slap for what he's done. He should thank sweet baby jesus for the rest of his life. If it was an American you better believe they would be locked up for years. 

 

Just because his family lawyer in the UK says:

 

9 hours ago, webfact said:

His mother's lawyer in London, Saimo Chahal, has previously said Sandford suffers seizures, obsession-compulsion, anxiety and autism spectrum disorders, and that a psychiatrist determined that he was delusional at the time of the attempted attack.

 

Does not mean he is as crazy as they make him sound. 

[Slip]

1 hour ago, steve187 said:

The man is the new Guy Fawkes, he also failed when it would have been nice if he had succeeded. 

 I wonder what would have happened if he hadn't.  A life time in purgatory or the key to the city?

[Grubster]

18 minutes ago, Strange said:

 

Probably better living conditions, as in not sleeping on a piss proof mat on the floor in a room with 50 other dudes, but its more dangerous as the inmates are a lot more likely to be violent/dangerous/gang members/rapists etc... 

Not in a federal pen. Violence there is pretty rare.

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been removed.  

[MajarTheLion]

11 hours ago, Strange said:

 

Negative. The whole reason he got this:

 

 

Is to put him in federal prison. Most of the time anything less than one year is county. Thats why they do 1 year plus 1 day. 

Highly, very highly doubt he will be in "protective custody". More than likely just regular gen-pop federal prison with a chance to get out early and be deported. 

 

Actually a federal sentence puts you in federal custody, regardless of the sentence handed down. I know a guy who did four months in federal prison for tax evasion. The year and a day is a favor to the person being sentenced. Those serving more than a year get up to 15% time off the sentence on paper for good behavior.

[MajarTheLion]

2 hours ago, Strange said:

 

Probably better living conditions, as in not sleeping on a piss proof mat on the floor in a room with 50 other dudes, but its more dangerous as the inmates are a lot more likely to be violent/dangerous/gang members/rapists etc... 

 

Federal prisons have several levels of security, ranging from work camps, minimum security, medium security and penitentiaries. This guy will likely go to a low security prison where violence is pretty rare.

[hawker9000]

9 hours ago, Strange said:

 

Because he's not crazy enough, meaning he was/is "there" enough for recovery.

 

People probably assume be must be completely nuts, but in reality he probably was a lot more "there" than he claims. He's getting off just about scott free/wrist slap for what he's done. He should thank sweet baby jesus for the rest of his life. If it was an American you better believe they would be locked up for years. 

 

Just because his family lawyer in the UK says:

 

 

Does not mean he is as crazy as they make him sound. 

"Expert" witnesses can simply be paid to say anything needed.

[hawker9000]

10 hours ago, steve187 said:

The man is the new Guy Fawkes, he also failed when it would have been nice if he had succeeded. 

 

"Progressivism" at its very finest.