OK, it is a serious offence that requires a penalty though he did not even steal it and eventually handed it in himself.
What sentances do people get for manslaughter, molesting children, handling child porn etc these days, there is something wrong with the justice system if Robert Venables gets only two years and this guys is jailed for eight years.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wear-10838480
Last edited by: Cheddar on Mon 2 Aug 10 at 11:12
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But he must have sat and looked at it most days for 10 years before finally handing it in.
So by the end of the period he was to some extent (to use the judge's favourite expression) a repeat offender.
Last edited by: Cliff Pope on Mon 2 Aug 10 at 12:48
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Scott made the big mistake of not respecting the criminal justice system.
He turned up at earlier hearings in fancy dress, carrying a Pot Noodle, and accompanied by a scantily clad woman.
To use an old phrase, he was literally trying to laugh the matter out of court.
Failing to observe the dignity of the proceedings is a certain way of annoying the judge.
Scott is a career thief, although as has been pointed out, he was convicted of handling the manuscript.
By pleading not guilty, he cost the public purse a great deal.
A couple of County Durham coppers had to be sent to America - much against their will, of course. :)
Witnesses for the trial had to come from abroad, although some gave evidence via video link.
All-in-all, Scott led everyone a merry dance, and may have had a good laugh doing it.
But I doubt he's laughing now.
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Not only did scott steal the book (although that charge was never brought) he partially destroyed a book that belongs to the world.
Worse of all, he is a complete Richard Head of the first order, and that alone deserves an automatic 5 years.
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Yes he probably did steal the book and damage it. But I guess impossible to prove and so not guilty verdict. I would think some of the 8 years was due to how he behaved in court etc.
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Yes, you're right Cheddar. There will always be discrepancies. It is an imperfect system but it's the best anyone has come up with so far.
JH
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I bet he didn't pay the ' overdue book ' fine, as well !
Ted
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...pay the overdue book fine...
This is the same Durham University library which is trying to borrow the original Lindisfarne Gospels from the British Library, which, amazingly, is a little concerned about security.
People moan about stuff being held in London, but at least you can't walk in off the street, pop a priceless manuscript into a Tesco carrier bag, and walk out again.
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>> OK, it is a serious offence that requires a penalty though he did not even
>> steal it and eventually handed it in himself.
Not so. He took it in to the Folger library for valuation, telling them he intended to sell it on the open market.
>> there is something wrong with the justice system if Robert Venables gets only two years
>> and this guys is jailed for eight years.
I disagree. Frankly he deserves life for that. Venables wasn't tinkering with our heritage.
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Jon Venables, not Robert. (And even that isn't his name now - anyone else puzzled why he was tried under his old one?) Distasteful case but irrelevant as a parallel to the folio case.
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No he did not hand it in, he mutiliated it in order to try and hide its provenance. By doing so he proved he knew it was stolen,.
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...And even that isn't his name now - anyone else puzzled why he was tried under his old one?)...
There still exists a blanket injunction banning the use of his new name in connection with his old one.
The judge in the kiddie porn case lifted the injunction to a limited extent to allow the press to say: "The man you know as Bulger killer Jon Venables admitted child porn offences."
Comparing two cases can be interesting, but I'm not sure it ever leads anywhere.
For what it's worth, Venables got a heavy sentence for the offences he admitted.
Most people would not get locked up for possessing the filth he did, and a previous conviction for murder many years ago would not normally make that much difference.
I've no sympathy for him, but the sentence is partly a result of overwhelming public pressure to do something.
In that sense, the press for bringing it to our attention, and the Bulger family for their campaigning, have had quite an impact.
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A "big time" drug dealer recently got 8 years - he has profited from hundreds of small time crooks stealing from homes, shops, cars etc - typically a hooked addict commits something like 140 crimes in 12 months to feed their habit.
How many of the addicts died as a result of his efforts, how many parents, brothers, wives, sisters had their lives ruined by their druggy relation?
Stealing an ancient book, reprehensible as it is, is small beer beside the "Big Drug Dealer" and they both walk in roughly 200 weeks time!
Surely for the drug dealer a life sentence is more suitable - it costs £50K per year but in practice this may be a small price to pay. Build more prisons I say.
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I think the 25 previous convictions for dishonesty helped him. We can't moan about trivial sentencing on the one hand and then criticise an 8 year stretch that reflects this man's failure to learn.
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The Standards Board for England & Wales is to be abolished. what's significant about that. Well if you made a complaint to a local Authority and you weren't happy with the reply you could always go to the standards board. Not now or soon. Whoever you complained to will be judge,jury & executioner of their own misdemeanours.
Incredible.
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There is something wrong with the justice system - Cliff Pope
