Did This Football Star Come People Smuggler Get Off Lightly?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/695023/Football-star-jailed-attempting-smuggle-Calais-migrants-England

[sandyRoe]

It seems he did. Four year stretches were handed down for similar crimes last week.
Could it be he got off lightly because he is black?

[anotheoldgit]

Crikey Sandy be careful.

[Gromit]

I suppose smuggling people OUT of the country is not seen as a great crime.

I expect if 10 foreigners boarded at Dover to illegally enter France, that you would be over-joyed and wished them every success in leaving.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

One would have to ask where these foreigners came from? If the answer was France, then they wouldn't be entering illegally, they would be returning from whence they came.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

But a nice try anyway, from one who should be showing more concern regarding the invasion of one's country.

[mushroom25]

just think it odd that the french would even bother given the post referendum uncertainty of the future of the le touquet treaty - better to let them pass on their way for the UK authorities to deal with?

[sp1814]

AOG

Do you mean 'lightly' compared to the people smugglers who got four years earlier in the week?

Or are you comparing the sentences to some other case involving people smuggling into France?

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

Didn't you fully read the link that I provided?

/// The case comes in the same week as Robert Stilwell, 33, a gold medallist in judo in the Commonwealth games in 2000, and Mark Stribling, 35, both from Kent, were jailed after being caught with 18 migrants on a sinking dinghy off Dymchurch, Kent, in
May. ///

/// At Maidstone Crown Court Stilwell was jailed for four years and four months and his childhood friend was given four years and eight months. ///

[jackthehat]

But surely *they* were subjected to British justice whereas the footballer was dealt with under French?

[sp1814]

JTH

Yes. That's what I was thinking, but totally got my words mixed up.

AOG...to clarify - when you say 'lightly' do you have something to compare this case against?

[Gromit]

AOG

So let's just clarify. You are saying that if a British man drove onto a ferry in England with a lorry packed with Afghanistanis wanting to leave the country, then he should be jailed at the tax payers expense for longer than 10 months?

[Gromit]

Sp1814,

You may find this interesting
http://www.everysecond.io/apple/

AOG, sorry for hijacking your thread

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// So let's just clarify. You are saying that if a British man drove onto a ferry in England with a lorry packed with Afghanistanis wanting to leave the country, then he should be jailed at the tax payers expense for longer than 10 months? ///

No likely he should be rewarded by the taxpayer for doing it on the cheap, it would be much cheaper than the government paying for airline travel.

After all they want to leave the country, so that can only be good.

[Mamyalynne]

It does seem somewhat lenient, however we are dealing with the matter being heard in another country - I presume the Judge had reasons for the leniency.

[david small]

He is a traitor to this country and should be deported. Full stop. Gromit is a victim of his own ego. Removes posts on a whim.

[trt]

## Could it be he got off lightly because he is black? ##

Like your sense of humour Sandy :-)

[Mamyalynne]

Gosh David, that's clever - where do I find out who has removed posts?