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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this prison story sounds fishy?

44 replies

Changechangychange · 05/01/2021 21:27

The DBro of an acquaintance has been in prison, on remand, for the past two years (I think Covid caused some delays to the case being heard). I have just heard from her that he has been found not guilty, and will be being released in March.

Does that sound odd to anyone else? If you are found not guilty, do they really keep you banged up for another two months? Don’t they have to free you there and then?

OP posts:
speakout · 05/01/2021 21:28

You would be freed immediately if found not guilty.

OverByYer · 05/01/2021 21:30

Yes as PP said he’d be freed straight away. Sounds like he’s serving a sentence to me

MajesticWhine · 05/01/2021 21:30

Sounds all wrong.

TopBants · 05/01/2021 21:31

Maybe he was not guilty of the main charge but copped for a lesser one.

HangOnToYourself · 05/01/2021 21:31

Yes it is also extremely unlikely they would be held on remand unless it was a particularly severe crime or they were a flight risk

AngelicInnocent · 05/01/2021 21:32

Sounds like hes been given 4.5 year sentence and they take off time on remand and then they only serve half so nearly his release date by the court hearing.

HangOnToYourself · 05/01/2021 21:33

But tbf your friend is probably a bit embarrassed so I wouldnt dig. If they have been found guilty of a crime it may well have been local news, you could google them.

KL29 · 05/01/2021 21:33

He would be released immediately if he was found not guilty. Was he serving a licence when he was remanded as he may have been recalled on that and have to remain in custody until that licence has finished.

Haggertyjane · 05/01/2021 21:33

They only keep prisoners on remand for fairly serious, often violent crimes. It sounds to me as though he was found guilty and the sentence was 3 ish years, but he'd already served 2 years and they do get let off a certain amount for good behaviour.

SpongeBobJudgeyPants · 05/01/2021 21:34

Two years remand....nah, didn't happen.

ParkheadParadise · 05/01/2021 21:34

Aye, he would have been free straightaway.

HangOnToYourself · 05/01/2021 21:35

@Haggertyjane

They only keep prisoners on remand for fairly serious, often violent crimes. It sounds to me as though he was found guilty and the sentence was 3 ish years, but he'd already served 2 years and they do get let off a certain amount for good behaviour.
That's not exactly true, generally crimes over a certain amount of time are served half in prison and half on licence but "time off for good behaviour" isnt something that exists in the uk
Rigamorph · 05/01/2021 21:36

(unless he is in the USA when they keep people locked up even if subsequently found innocent, so the legal team gets to save face....Hmm)

Doggybiccys · 05/01/2021 21:36

Well fishy. What @TopBants said.

RuthTopp · 05/01/2021 21:37

I worked in a prison.
A person spends about a year in prison on remand ( roughly ) for a murder case.

So unlikely if it wasn't.
Once a case comes to court and they are found not guilty , they walk from the court. So in prison until March ? They are lying.

Lockdownlovernotfromliverpool · 05/01/2021 21:38

Google his name.. Local news reports recent sentencing..

KarlKennedysDurianFruit · 05/01/2021 21:40

I work in the justice system this is nonsense, 2 years remand even with Covid delays nigh on impossible, and if you are found not guilty at court you walk free on the day.

MrsL2016 · 05/01/2021 21:40

Also worked in a prison and 2 years on remand is an exceptionally long time, even taking COVID delays into account. If they were found not guilty and were not serving any other sentences or recalls for breach of licence then they would be released immediately.

ParkheadParadise · 05/01/2021 21:44

My dd's killer walked from the court, he was on remand for 10mths before.

funnylittlefloozie · 05/01/2021 21:46

Its incredibly unlikely that anyone would do two years on remand. We didnt have COVID delays two years ago. It sounds more like he was out on licence for a previous offence, then got recalled when charged with the present offence. He may have been found not guilty of the present offence, but will still have to finish the previous sentence.

I do this for a living. You are not being told the whole story; even prisoners are entitled to some privacy.

Haggertyjane · 05/01/2021 21:58

@HangOnToYourself I know it doesn't as such, but serving only a portion of the sentence is normal, and is dependent on being a model prisoner. I didn't mention the 50% reduction because it's been changed recently after public pressure and I believe it is now 2/3rds of the sentence off?

Original poster
Changechangychange · 05/01/2021 21:59

Not in the US, and I don’t think it was murder! Most likely drugs.

I’m definitely not going to pry further, it’s none of my business, it just sounded unlikely to me and I wondered if I just had a really naive view of the criminal justice system.

Previous suspended sentence/out on licence is the most likely-sounding explanation, thanks guys!

OP posts:
Haggertyjane · 05/01/2021 21:59

I mean you serve 2/3rds and 1/3rd off

AndcalloffChristmas · 05/01/2021 22:02

No, this wouldn’t happen. As others have said, if found NG he’d be released straight away. They’d have no grounds to keep him in prison in that case. It’s possible as a pp said he was found NG of some offences, possibly the more serious, and G of others, but definitely not NG for everything.

AndcalloffChristmas · 05/01/2021 22:03

The remand does count towards your sentence though as others have said, and people generally get released at the half way stage of the sentence to be on licence.