Last week, Norwich Crown Court heard that Rylance had acted without provocation.
His barrister said in mitigation that Rylance was "consistently plagued over the years by gangs of young men and girls". But Chief Inspector Stuart Gunn later said there was no record of him contacting police. Rylance was jailed for six years after admitting affray and possessing a firearm and ammunition without a certificate.
Was there sympathy and understanding for the attacked and abused young people? Don't be silly. The headline in the Eastern Daily Press was "Councillor defends jailed man". It reported the view of West Norfolk councillor Charles Joyce that the sentence was harsh. Joyce acknowledged that he wasn't in court to hear the evidence, but still his sympathies were with the attacker.
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