Nial mason 6 months suspended prison sentence!!!!

[RoversAlias]

I've just found out about this and am shocked and appalled. His contract should be terminated by the club immediately, he has been convicted of a sexual assault. We all make mistakes, sure, but when we make mistakes like this that can have a profound and serious affect on victims then we must all face the consequences of that mistake. Mason's consequences are on him for behaving this way. I don't want to see people who would do something like this associated with our club.

Some of the things said in this thread are a disgrace, too. Imagine if your wife, girlfriend or daughter were subject to this in a bar, or anywhere. Would you find all these excuses and justifications for it? You cannot go around grabbing people by the hair, putting your hands up their clothes without permission and groping them when they have told you not to. It's horrendous.

[Mustapha-Dump]

let him do community work

I would imagine the community work that rovers do, a lot of coaching with schools and children will now be unavailable to a registered sex offender, but I could be wrong. As I’m not yet a parent, I don’t know how a lot parents would feel about having their kids interact with someone who has been charged and classed as someone who is
Not
Of
Normal
Criminal
Element

I reacted angrily last night and still think he should be let go, but having had time to digest it and think calmly, I really do not envy the club having to go through this process of deciding what to do. I personally would find it very hard to clap or cheer him on now

[IDM]

I think we should also remember that this offence was not against a minor, so any comparisons like that are irrelevant.

Not condoning the crime, but let’s not make this worse than it already is.?

[bigal]

Let the girl decide his fate

[Mustapha-Dump]

I think we should also remember that this offence was not against a minor, so any comparisons like that are irrelevant.

Not condoning the crime, but let’s not make this worse than it already is.?

Of course it wasn’t, and there is different degrees of severity. However, you are either a sex offender or you are not, and he is.

[silent majority]

As I've posted much earlier in this thread, just cancelling his contract on the spot is not an option. There are processes to go through, including discussions with the PFA etc, and once that is complete the club will make a decision.

Trust them to do the right thing.

[sedwardsdrfc]

Let the girl decide his fate but for me he should go

No let the justice system & his employer decide his fate. Punishments have to be consistent the victim is obviously too close to the crime to act impartially

As I've said on this thread before sacking Mason for bringing the club into disrepute will create a precedent that anyone who brings the club into disrepute will also be sacked. It's very dangerous ground to start deciding which illegal or unethical acts are fall into this category.

Are we then as a club condoning assault by employing Ferguson or race fixing with coppinger and whatever Wilks was on trial for too? Or is the difference that this was sexual, are we ok with violence/illegality so long as there is no hint of sexual misconduct? In theory if DRFC sack Mason and not the others (granted DF is gone) then we are condoning what they did as morally acceptable by the club. Doesn't this make us less of a family club? Maintaining neutrality and helping the authorities in anyway is perhaps the best way forward to avoid a minefield.

For what it's worth I don't mind if Mason stays or goes i just think its a difficult decision for a club to really get involved in



 

[karlos]

I said when wilks (assault) trial situation was brought to the attention of the club that he should be sent back to his parent club even though he was not proved innocent or guilty at the time. The reason for this is that we pride our selves on being a family and community club and could do without the negative publicity so Mason actually being found guilty of this crime and no doubt it is a crime he definitely should go if only to show that the club stands by its community and this girl is part of the community in cases like this i believe football comes second.

[Filo]

I said when wilks (assault) trial situation was brought to the attention of the club that he should be sent back to his parent club even though he was not proved innocent or guilty at the time. The reason for this is that we pride our selves on being a family and community club and could do without the negative publicity so Mason actually being found guilty of this crime and no doubt it is a crime he definitely should go if only to show that the club stands by its community and this girl is part of the community in cases like this i believe football comes second.

Wilks trial is in the summer

[karlos]

Filo i didn't say it wasn't what i should probably have said was his court case.

[the vicar]

How many tines do I need to say it, if I didn’t commit the crime I would fight to clear my name..

not if that meant you would be stitched up a d sent to jail you wouldn't

[ravenrover]

"holier than thou" opinions on here mean absolutely zilch. The club will do what they think is right, just leave it to them.

[sedwardsdrfc]

Filo i didn't say it wasn't what i should probably have said was his court case.

Do you want Coppinger sacked for race fixing then? A professional footballer involved in betting fixing isn't good for our community or our standing as a professional football club. I know there is a massive difference in the harm caused but if your reasoning is negative publicity then it's an issue for the club 

[wing commander]

   It really wouldn't surprise me if Mason left to join another club tomorrow..It would solve Rovers predicament of what to do with him,Mason would see it as a chance to start again fresh somewhere else and there are always clubs prepared to take a chance on players who committed offences elsewhere..
   In some ways it would be a ideal scenario,although ultimately we will lose a player for nothing who had transfer value,although he only has a few months left in contract it explains why we weren't tyeing him up to a new one..

[IDM]

How many tines do I need to say it, if I didn’t commit the crime I would fight to clear my name..

not if that meant you would be stitched up a d sent to jail you wouldn't

How the hell do you know what I would or wouldn’t do.??

For something like being involved in a fight and accepting a lesser charge, that’s a different matter..

But for a sex offence that I hadn’t done, no way..

[Muttley]

Not condoning any of Mason’s actions, but it strikes me as odd that the girl was subjected to 2 unwanted approaches and didn’t move away from Mason, slap him or report him to the door staff.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Not condoning any of Mason’s actions, but it strikes me as odd that the girl was subjected to 2 unwanted approaches and didn’t move away from Mason, slap him or report him to the door staff.

Should she have to?

[wing commander]

   Okay IDM I gave this scenario earlier...If your were approaching the trial date and your Barrister sat you down and said in his opinion it was a 50/50 case..If found Guilty it would be a minimum of 10 years but if you plead guilty it would be 3 and out in 16 months..What would you do?????

   I think its one of those situations were it's easy to sit here and say you would fight it but in the cold light of day it would take a lot of thinking about...

[dickos1]

Of course she shouldn’t have to but that’s not the point. If he was assaulting her why would she not

[dickos1]

   Okay IDM I gave this scenario earlier...If your were approaching the trial date and your Barrister sat you down and said in his opinion it was a 50/50 case..If found Guilty it would be a minimum of 10 years but if you plead guilty it would be 3 and out in 16 months..What would you do?????

   I think its one of those situations were it's easy to sit here and say you would fight it but in the cold light of day it would take a lot of thinking about...

I’ve been trying to say this to people today, and as you say it’s very easy to be sat here and say you wouldn’t do it. But if there was a chance you wouldn’t be able to see your kids grow up I think lots of people would agree to plea guilty in exchange for not going to prison

[IDM]

It depends on the offence..

But I wouldn’t put myself in that situation anyway..

I had a work colleague in the 90s who was charged with attempting to abduct a young child.. he protested his innocence all along, and eventually even the police believed him but the CPS didn’t..  he went down for 4 years but won his appeal, the supposed crime never happened as it was a revenge stitch up from someone who had unsuccessfully tried to blackmail him for visiting hookers.

It was bloody awful but justice was done, eventually..

[drfcbenny625]

I may be wrong but didn’t the club recently agree a scheme with the prison service to give ex cons coaching opportunities or something along those lines.

That was very much about giving people a second chance and I feel they would be acting against that principle if they were to sack Mason.

[ChrisBx]

Of course she shouldn’t have to but that’s not the point. If he was assaulting her why would she not

Why are we now looking at the behaviour of the victim? She is not at fault.

[dickos1]

I’m not suggesting she is, muttley was just stating it was odd.
Although everyone suggested ched Evans lady was the victim and any criticism she got was a disgrace and it turned out very different in the end

[The Red Baron]

I don't think the club can just sack Mason- they will have to follow due process under Employment Law. I would think if they are planning to take further action he will have to be suspended while they go through that.

The position of the club has been made more difficult because Mason has stated his intention to contest the charge  (hence innocent until proven guilty) then in court pleaded guilty.

[ChrisBx]

I’m not suggesting she is, muttley was just stating it was odd.
Although everyone suggested ched Evans lady was the victim and any criticism she got was a disgrace and it turned out very different in the end

Her behaviour wasn't odd at all. It's somewhat typical for victims of sexual violence to "freeze" during the assault.

[Muttley]

Not condoning any of Mason’s actions, but it strikes me as odd that the girl was subjected to 2 unwanted approaches and didn’t move away from Mason, slap him or report him to the door staff.

Should she have to?

No, of course not.

But if I was receiving unwanted attention I would do something about it to stop it happening and I imagine most other people would too.

[ChrisBx]

Not condoning any of Mason’s actions, but it strikes me as odd that the girl was subjected to 2 unwanted approaches and didn’t move away from Mason, slap him or report him to the door staff.

Should she have to?

No, of course not.

But if I was receiving unwanted attention I would do something about it to stop it happening and I imagine most other people would too.

It's understandable that people would assume that, however until you're a female being sexually assaulted, you don't truly know how you would react.

[BerlinRed]

Not condoning any of Mason’s actions, but it strikes me as odd that the girl was subjected to 2 unwanted approaches and didn’t move away from Mason, slap him or report him to the door staff.

Should she have to?

No, of course not.

But if I was receiving unwanted attention I would do something about it to stop it happening and I imagine most other people would too.

With respect, it's very easy to say that as a man. The fact that she froze doesn't sound at all odd.

[southwestexile]

Not condoning any of Mason’s actions, but it strikes me as odd that the girl was subjected to 2 unwanted approaches and didn’t move away from Mason, slap him or report him to the door staff.

Should she have to?

No, of course not.

But if I was receiving unwanted attention I would do something about it to stop it happening and I imagine most other people would too.

At least that’s what you think you’d do. We all act in different ways in unusual and stressful situations. Some people respond as they think they would, others freeze etc etc