[Part Two]
The question of serving only half (or probably less) of his sentence is a wider issue. Tweed was, by the time of his wife�s death last month, released from custody, so could only have served at most a third of his eighteen month sentence before being released under curfew (which was subsequently relaxed). All prisoners sentenced to a fixed-term can expect to serve a maximum of one half of their sentence inside, and with release under curfew, many spend much less than that inside. I cannot establish quite how this came about.
Some years ago you were eligible for �early release� after two thirds had been served, provided you had a record of good behaviour, as judged by the prison governor. This was ruled unacceptable under Human Rights legislation. Under its twisted logic, denial of early release was interpreted as additional imprisonment and only a court could impose that. However, the same rules do not seem to apply to early release (you would think, in the interests of fairness, only a court could order that too). However civil servants are now taking the decisions to release prisoners long before even half of their sentence has been completed.
This seriously undermines what little confidence the public has in the Criminal Justice System and it should be addressed as recommended by Lord Coulsfield as long ago as 2004
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1476723 /Prison-sentences-should-be-served-in-full-say s-judge.html
So, the short answer is, in my opinion, wrong on both counts.