Justice?

[sir.prize]

The comments following this story make interesting reading

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/corrupt-cop-stole-drugs-jailed-23-years-182249810.html#F6nQ3Ty

[emmie]

it is what one would expect, the comments that is. he got a long jail term, good, perhaps that will hold as a deterrent to other bent police, however
it's unlikely Philpott will ever come out, he will be 71 by the time parole would be possible, but most people in the know believe he won't ever come out.

[jim360]

Yes, but what is the minimum tariff he must serve?

[emmie]

jim, the policeman ?

[jim360]

Yes. I know Philpott has been jailed for life, min 15 (or 17) years. I suspect the policeman was jailed for 23 years, minimum X. But I can't find that figure anywhere.

[Gromit]

Can't see comments.

[Canary42]

The comments fail to recognise that Philpott's 15 years is minimum, it is most unlikely he will then get out.

[emmie]

nor can i. BBC news has the same story

[emmie]

not exactly mastermind...

He told his wife he had earned extra money on overtime and that his police pension was paying out, the court heard.

The detective was caught after regularly paying cash into automatic banking machines which triggered a security alert, Paul Greaney QC said.

When he was arrested, he told police he found bags of cash in a ditch by the M62 motorway.

Simon McFadden, of Darfield Place, Harehills, Leeds, maintains he knew nothing about his brother's alleged activity.

The jury was told large amounts of cash, along with mobile phones that contained messages about drug deals, were found at Simon McFadden's terraced home during a search.

[sir.prize]

Here is one of the comments . . .

It seems different judges give out different sentences. The Philpotts got the wrong judge!!!! The peodo killer got 20 years, this cop got 23 and Philpott got 15. Where's the sense in that????

[emmie]

Philpott didn't get 15 years, he got a life sentence, to serve 15 before considered for parole. So that means he is an old man by the time he gets out, and most who know about this things don't believe he will get out.

[FredPuli43]

And Philpott is on licence for life even if he is released after 15 years, or whatever the Parole Board decides after that. All life prisoners are. That means that if they commit another offence at any time, they are recalled to jail. Someone serving a fixed term, such as the policeman, and released, is only on licence for the remaining length of the original term.

[jake-the-peg]

You always get these outraged comments when someone has been tried and sentenced for manslaughter.

People get all het up because in their heads it was murder

After all anybody who kills someone innocent and young recklessly - well that's murder isn't it?

I do think 23 years is quite a long sentence - it is about the most serious case imaginable but the maximum sentence is 16 years which is what his brother got

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/sentencing_manual/supply_class_a_drugs/

Seems we may not have quite the full story - presumably he was also sentenced for other offences as well

[Zeuhl]

Anyone who works in Law and has taken oaths to uphold it (police officers, solicitors, barristers etc) usually receives a more severe sentence than others when they are convicted of breaking the law

It's about Trust and the integrity of the Legal System

[emmie]

and if we don't have that, and we have seen lately that they are as fallible as the next person, then we have anarchy, or at least no faith in the police, to do their job.