[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

There is a thought experiment already along those lines, similar to this one...

Julie wants to kill her friend. She makes them tea, and spoons what she believes to be rat poison into her friends cup. However, it's actually sugar, and nothing happens to the friend.

Sue has no intention of harming anyone. She makes herself and her friend tea, and accidentally spoons rat poison into her friends cup from a bowl, believing it to be sugar. Her friend dies.

Which of the two is more deserving of punishment?

Obviously Julie, because she attempted a murder, only the fact that she's an idiot stopped her.

Sue's was purely accidental. She didn't know someone had put rat poison in the sugar bowl so how could she be punished? It's must surely be the person who put the rat poison into the sugar bowl who was responsible?