DAVID CHATER MP EXPENSES CHEAT IN COURT FOR SENTENCING - SHOULD HE GO TO JAIL?

[barney15c]

His defence lawyer says he doesnt deserve to go to jail, despite systematic fraud. lots of character witnesses turned up saying he is "a good man"
My opinion is he should be made an example of and the maximum force of the law should come down on him, Anything less and it shows that politicians have learned nothing from this episode and they are as out of touch with the people as ever and things havent changed one iota.
What do you think, should he go to jail or not?

[craft1948]

I can't see what good sending him to prison would do, and we would be paying for his stay there. I think community service may bring him down to earth with a bump.

[murraymints]

If it were you or I caught fraudulently stealing money from an employer we would be done !! No sympathy for these white collar thieves...that is exactly what they are !!

[andy-hughes]

Yes he should go to jail

Everyone thinks they are a 'good person' - who said "I only ever tried to give people a good time ..." It was Al Capone.

Chater may well be a 'good man', but he is a 'good man' who has broken the law, abused his position, and behaved inexcusibly, when as a public figure, he ought to know better.

If the law dictates prison, then his 'good man' status should not save him - any more than it would save you or I.

[craft1948]

What good is a prison term going to do?
He's unlikely to re-offend, and he's not a danger to the public, so I fail to see any good reason for locking him up, other than it may make some people feel better.

[murraymints]

Perhaps a better form of punishment would be to make him repay what he has stolen... strip him of his assets gained whilst serving as MP.....deny him the right to earn a living for what would be a considered jail term but live on job seekers allowance for the duration...whilst doing some kind of voluntary work to benefit the community. A little humility and a huge reality check may be more appropriate !...Could team him up with Tommy Sheridan as a double act on the streets of Paisley ??

[barney15c]

So Jeffrey Archer, Jonathan Aitken and John Stonehouse should have been let off jail too then?

[andy-hughes]

The prison system does not exist on the basis of an individual's likelyhood to re-offend - if it did, we could all claim one murder each and promise not to do it again.

Prison is a punishment appropriate to a variety of offences. It is designed to give the offender time to consider his actions, and to attempt to ensure that a repeat offence does not occur.

It also serves to show to society that crime is taken seriously, and is not simply ignored.

The attitude held by a large number of MP's that niggling little aspects of life like honesty, integrity, behaving like the majority of society in being a decent human being, and accepting the responsibility of representing others - are things they can simply ignore if they choose.

It is that level of breathtaking arrogance and self-importancec, and thievery, that has put Chater in court in the first place.

The notion that he should be let off because he is unliely to do it again (yes, I think you can safely say he will never be an MP again, so the expenses gravy train is an avenue of illegal and immoral theft that is sadly closed off to him) is frankly laughable.

MP's are instrumental in setting our laws and governing our society - they should be bound by its rules and punishments like the rest of us.

[barney15c]

Interesting fact ...at least 18 serving mp's have been interred or gone to jail, listed in this link about 1/2 way down.


http://answers.google.../threadview?id=222827

[eyethenkyew]

Yes.

[McMouse]

I hope so. 18 months should please most people.

[LazyGun]

Jail

[jake-the-peg]

I think a custodial sentence is necessary because of the issue of abuse of trust.

That goes for MPs or the Nobel Lords involved.

If by the "full force of the law" you mean maximum sentence - I don't think that would be appropriate - it's after all not exactly the worst case imaginable.

Tom Wise the UKIP MEP was prosecuted for a very similar offence and got 2 years.

there's your benchmark

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Wise

[bibblebub]

18 months

[sandyRoe]

They all seemed to be at it yet only a handful were taken to court. That doesn't seem fair.

[rov1200]

I think the MPs facing a court are the minnows of the establishment. I can think of many who somehow escaped the clutches of the law. What about the home flippers such as Jaquie Smith and many others?

[craft1948]

Now I'd lock Jacqui Smith up...........

[jake-the-peg]

The ones being taken to court are the ones that have clearly broken the law.

These are the minority.

The vast majority, the home flippers etc were taking advantage of a rubbish system and lax monitorring.

You may dislike it but it wasn't illegal.

In term's of home flippers I'll see your Jackie Smith and raise you George Osbourne!

[I.Don No]

if the law sets out that this offence means jail time, then jail time is what he should serve.