Without CCTV and audio recording on this bus, would these two thugs - who assaulted and robbed a bus driver - have been caught, prosecuted and convicted? Criminals were apprehended and banged up long before CCTV was widely available, but cases often turned on witness statements which have to be weighed up and considered alongside testimony from the defense.
However, this image and the audio that went with it proved compelling evidence for the court. Not only did it show the severity of the attack, in which the bus driver was punched three times, it also recorded the audio of the robbers claiming they had a gun.
By supporting the victim's testimony, CCTV not only helps to prove the case but also assists the court in establishing an appropriate sentence, one that is commensurate with the actual severity of the crime.
In this case, the defendants were each sentenced to over three years in prison. What are the chances that if there hadn't been CCTV, and the court had had to rely solely on the bus driver's testimony, that the defendants would have got off with a much lighter sentence?
More details of the case here.
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