JUDGE'S SENTENCE SENDS MUCH-NEEDED MESSAGE

For years, members of the public and the media have been calling for
judges in this high-crime province to hand out tougher sentences for
hard-core criminals.

And for years the judges have appeared to turn a deaf ear to
complaints that they were being too soft-hearted to those who
repeatedly flouted the law.

That's why it is refreshing to see that a gangster who took part in
three brutal, drug-related kidnappings has been handed one of the
longest sentences of its kind in B.C. history. B.C. Supreme Court
Justice Sunni Stromberg-Stein handed Jethinder Singh (Roman) Narwal a
jail term totalling 17 years on 13 counts.

Narwal, of course, is unlikely to spend anywhere near that time in
jail. And, according to his lawyer, he plans to appeal his conviction.

But in the meantime, let's hope the word gets out in crime circles
that B.C. is no longer such a soft touch.