One Less cowboy

Originally Posted by Jamesy D

Why are people saying he shouldn't be in prison!? He's been found guilty of Perverting the Course of Justice, a very serious offence, especially for a police officer to commit!

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think it carries a compulsory custodial sentence in the event of a guilty verdict by the jury.

You are wrong.

Yes it is a serious offence but people commit it frequently and it either gets plea bargined away or they most certainly don't get imprisoned for it!

Originally Posted by Milky Bar Kid

You are wrong.

Yes it is a serious offence but people commit it frequently and it either gets plea bargined away or they most certainly don't get imprisoned for it!

Fair enough, I'd always been told it was custodial. Rest of my argument still stands though.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by Jamesy D

Why are people saying he shouldn't be in prison!?

The strong argument against him being in prison is that he is not a threat to the public.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

The strong argument against him being in prison is that he is not a threat to the public.

Yep, totally. This guy is an idiot, that is clear for all to see but he is most definately not a threat to anyone but himself. And he is already punished by losing his job and pension.

We don't have enough room in prison apparently for offenders of violent/sexual/weapons/drugs related crime but yet they can incarcarate someone for lying about his MOT certificate!!! I understand that as a Police Officer I am in a position of trust and therefore, there are harsher penalties but I don't think this is good use of public money.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

The strong argument against him being in prison is that he is not a threat to the public.

I can see that point of view I guess, but Prison isn't just about isolating potentially dangerous individuals from society, it's currently the highest level of punishment a judge can meet out.

Though I will concede that possibly if the officer wasn't having an example made out of him, he may have got off lighter.

[ophic]

Prison is a method of punishment, first and foremost. It is not there primarily to protect the public, nor to reform, although it can also serves these purposes. There are many people in prison who are no threat to the public whatsoever - we even have "open prisons" where they are allowed out on occasion.

Sounds like a perfectly fair punishment to me, although obviously on the heavy side as he is being made an example of.

The worrying part, is that he may have acted on the advice of his colleagues or have witnessed these methods being used by others, which is why he tried to pull it off himself.

I think that people should remember this. Generally speaking, when back is against a wall, people react in ways which might not be typical.

[ophic]

Originally Posted by Ed

I think that people should remember this. Generally speaking, when back is against a wall, people react in ways which might not be typical.

True, but it still needs discouraging.

[timwilky]

If Wade Dooley was able to get just an official reprimand after knocking down a kid whilst drunk, I am sure this would have been another buried offence a don't do it again letter.

The issue here was not the MOT, it was his actions afterwards, the attempted perverting of the course of justice, the bullying of a junior into committing an offence etc.

Rules appear to dictate that those who abuse a position of trust must fall harder than others who commit the same offence.

He should have lost his job. It is one thing to be a copper who forgot to sort out his MOT, but this guy was corrupt. OK not brown evelope corrupt, but certainly morally corrupt and I am sure his force will be glad to see the back of him.

I don't see prison achieving anything. Better others more deserving take his place. I would rather have seen him on community service doing something of value to the public, something he should have been doing in his job.

Originally Posted by Ed

I think that people should remember this. Generally speaking, when back is against a wall, people react in ways which might not be typical.

This was over an expired MOT, hardly a case of having his back against the wall. Maybe he should have given thought to the implications rather than barrel on implicating others and thinking he was above the law.

No sympathy from here.