Man sentenced despite not guilty verdict - explanation please

[shirleysfc]

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9459324.Driver_spared_after_mayhem_on_M27/

 

Can someone please explain this to me please.

 

The guy had a fit whilst driving so how is two years’ supervision by the probation service going to “ensure the same thing does not happen again” ??

 

Have I missed something?

[bridge too far]

I can understand a medical supervision order. Many, many years ago, my son suffered from petit mal (a form of epilepsy) and he wasn't allowed to drive for two years, despite being on medication to control the condition.

 

After two years, and an EEG, it was determined that he'd 'grown out' of the problem, and that's quite common with young people. So now he drives again, doesn't have to take any medication and has never had another occurence.

 

Petit mal doesn't cause fits; rather a 'spaced out' feeling.

[derry]

I think it was that he had had seizures before which should have been notified to the DVLA and was ineligible to hold a licence as there must be at least a year free of an event before the licence is granted. The supervision order is to ensure he doesn't drive.

[Guest Dark Sotonic Mills]

A finding of not guilty through reasons of insanity usually require the defendant to be placed in a special hospital. However, it was found that he was temporarily insane through reason of his epilepsy and, I think, bowing to the decision of the European Court of Human Rights which stated that no-one should be deprived of their liberty...through insanity... unless it is in the public interest.

Clearly it was not in the public interest to send this man to a Psychiatric Unit and so the Judge used his discretion.