Is It Really Possible To Plot With Yourself?

[sandyRoe]

This man walked into a police station and confessed to thinking about killing Prince Harry. He's got three years to mull over that admission. There's no mention of any other conspirators so where's the plot?

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/feb/10/ashraf-islam-plot-kill-prince-harry-armed-forces-prison

[emmie]

of course it is, the plot can be one man, woman or dozens.

[emmie]

you hatch a plan, plot to murder your enemy, can't see why it has to be a multiple action. if someone had said to this guy that they hated Prince Harry and all he stands for, giving him the thoughts and impetus to carry it out, same way that some of these brain dead zealots do, an idea is planted by someone, but they are the ones who carry it through...

[naomi24]

A plot is not necessarily a conspiracy. It's a scheme or a plan, so yes it is possible for one person to hatch a plot.

[mrs_overall]

I think I should be serving a life sentence as I plot on a daily basis.
This morning it was my next door neighbour who was in full screech at her kids at 6am. Her death will be a slow, painful one.....

[Hopkirk]

We are all guilty of making death threats as well.

(How many times have you said "I'm going to kill you" to a loved one or work colleague?)

[mrs_overall]

Hopkirk, would it be a criminal offence if I threatened to kill you, seeing as you are already dead and are simply a ghost? ;-)

[naomi24]

Mrs O, it's at times like this I'm pleased I have no near neighbours. ;o)

[jomifl]

Never Hopkirk..

[mrs_overall]

jomifl - I can see your nose growing as we speak

[Hopkirk]

jomifl, you are too perfect.

Mrs O, you can threaten, but you couldn't catch me to carry it out.

[sandyRoe]

Nobody else think there's something slightly Kafkaesque here. Imagine a mentally ill man presenting himself to a Sharia Court somewhere and confession to having cursed The Prophet(pbuh) or claiming himself to be a prophet. If he was sentenced there'd be uproar here in the West and the land where this had happened would be denounced as irredeemably backward.
The defence for this man who thought of Prince Harry's death stated he was mentally ill.

[FredPuli43]

Threatening to kill, contrary to section 16 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. The key element is that the defendant intends the person, to whom the threat is addressed, to fear that the threat to kill that person, or a third party, will be carried out.

[Hopkirk]

Thanks Fred, I feel better now.

I have never meant it.

[sandyRoe]

The plot involved taking a weapon from a policeman guarding the Prince and using it to shoot him. Even the judge said: "Your plan was vague and unlikely to succeed..."
Could anyone seriously believe that such a threat was a serious one?

[DrFilth]

fred might know but i think under the mental health act you can still be detained indefinitely and i think that is longer than 3 years so 3 years might not be too bad

[mibn2cweus]

Not only have people been known to choose their own plot, some go that extra step and . . . dig their own grave.

[jno]

it seems to be the threat rather than the plot that he was convicted of. The Guardian could have come up with a more accurate headline.

[FredPuli43]

Dr F there are various hospital orders that can be made and, yes, may require the patient to be detained until they present no danger to themselves or the public. It doesn't appear that a hospital order was made in this case and the man's mental state went only to mitigation.