Do these imbeciles have any sense of proportion ?

[bazwillrun]

or are their wigs just getting in the way and totally obscuring their judgement

http://www.guardian.c...-cancer?newsfeed=true

Yes she should have been punished , but this just seems totally ludicrous and out of all proportion.

[Zeuhl]

Absolutely crazy. All she was doing was defrauding her employers and her fellow officers with a harmless 'my daughter has cancer' story.

The fact she was a police officer is irrelevant - there's no reason we should expect them to be especially honest or ethical.

A jail sentence is ridiculous - she would have been better off if she'd assalted a passer-by or killed someone in the cells.

I wonder what these judges are thinking of.

[ludwig]

I'm not sure how an 18 month prison sentence (she'll serve less than half of that), is 'out of all proportion' to a prolonged period of theft and fraud perpetrated against your employers and colleagues.

[Duncer]

I would be sacked for that as, I expect, would many others. Using a child and cancer leaves me little or no sympathy, but jail does seem a tad excessive.

[ludwig]

// but jail does seem a tad excessive. //

For stealing £29,000+ ? It doesn't to me.

[Prudie]

Not excessive to me, she effectively stole thousands, totally abused a position of trust, made a mockery of those who sympathised and I'm sure it was all coldy planned. No evidence of mental health issues.

[chelle7272]

Absolutely agree with Prudie, well said.

[tonyav]

seconded.

[bazwillrun]

I didnt say she shouldnt go to jail, just the length of the sentence seems over the top.

[DTCwordfan]

thirded

[DTCwordfan]

she's lucky not to get more.

[albaqwerty]

Agree with Prudie too.

[Baldric]

Errr!, it doesn't actually say she stole £29k+, it says she took time off from her role for which she got a salary of up to £29k+. Not defending her in any way but I do think the punishment excessive.

[VHG]

>>>>>but I'm not sure what purpose jailing her serves.

On that basis it is not worth jailing anyone.

I think the fact she was a police woman IS relevant as certain jobs carry an expection of decent behaviour.

[anotheoldgit]

I would have had no sympathy for her even if she had been given twice that sentence, any Mother who could invent a story about her daughter having cancer doesn't deserve sympathy, in fact she doesn't even deserve to be a Mother.

[Nibble]

Sorry, if this upsets the pc peeps, but the police force uphold the rule of law "with the compliance" of the populace, and as such must be "seen" to be whiter-than-white re offences against the crown, i.e regina vs. ?? The FACTs of this case seem to be a "Servant of the Law", i.e (PC), has been found to have NO honour, (as in "my word IS my bond & my honour"), which to me, as a man who holds MY word & honour above all, falls to a -n-th ammount of the standards for which myself & others of this country have volutarily followed the laws & precepts of her job. Our word IS our bond, & as people of "trust", should always be!!!!

This is another case of ME before anyoneelse, don't blame the banker when they do they same!!!! One law for ALL, is my only gripe - be they banker/police/me/you/anyone!

[Gromit]

Wonder if you would say the same if she was a benefits scrounger and stole £29,000?

[Duncer]

She did not steal £29,000, she was on a salary of up to that.

I often see six month sentences handed down for frauds of up to £100,000 and have remarked to myself that it would be almost worth it if you could guarantee being out in three. I firmly belive she deserved to be punished, and what she did was utterly repugnant, but I stand by my remarks that the sentence is a tad excessive. Sentencing, if nothing else, is never consistent.

[FredPuli43]

Can't see anything wrong with the sentence. Fraud, breach of trust, misconduct in public office by a police officer, what more do you want? Must be jail. 18 months is a suitable sentence. The offence is aggravated by her being a police officer .

[eyethenkyew]

I would have thought that a few hundred unpaid hours of community service would have been more appropriate personally. Instead of even more taxpayers' cash being frittered away on her she could have repaid the public purse by some meaningful toil instead.

Besides, look at all those MPs who filched a damned sight more in expenses claims yet never saw any sort of justice? Loads of them are still in office and continuing to drain our hard earned dosh.