I do not know Francis Fernie (Talented student jailed over riot, July 8) but my sons are acquainted with him, having been to the same secondary school.

They know him as someone who does a lot of charitable work, as you reported, which is exceptional in a 20-year old male.

Fernie was wrong to throw two sticks at police at the anti-cuts demonstration but young people do make mistakes and, as a society, we should take care to ensure that any punishment is fair in helping the individual to appreciate their error. Punishment should reflect the amount and magnitude of bad behaviour, offset by evidence of good character.

Fernie displayed bad behaviour on a single “hot-headed” occasion and, while classed as “violent disorder”, a couple of sticks are no challenge to full police riot gear. On the plus side, he has undertaken community-spirited charitable work time and again.

A punishment of 12 months in a young offenders’ institution in these circumstances is simply wrong.

Anne Rylatt, Caedmon Close, York