Vicky Pryce is guilty

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"controlling, manipulative and devious?. I doubt he would have applied to to a man and she was the one being manipulated by Huhne when he presented her with the form to sign.

Pretty devious when she tried to say an aide had taken the points and started involving journalists and Constance Briscoe.

THough I did feel sorry for her having to go through the trial process twice. Extra stressful and I wondered whether that would have been taken into account.

On a human note, no matter how guilty they both are, it is a pretty scary experience facing going to prison.

I'd be terrified.

I felt sorry for the daughter who accompanied her mother to court. It must be awful for her. Are all the children pretty well grown up?

They both deserve it. Him because he instigated the crimes. Her because she tried to manipulate the press and the public to her own agenda. She wasn't interested in the public good and getting a dodgy politician out of office. She wanted revenge.

I hope that is the last we see of both of them. What will this have done to their poor children?

I just knew she'd be sentenced for being vengeful. I maintain that she's been sentenced on grounds other than legal ones.

Christ.

I can't help feeling sorry on a human level for two people to go to prison. It must be terrifying. And 5 children (adult albeit reasonably young). A whole family wrecked.

I agree Duchesse.

I agree some of her sentencing is for being a vengeful woman.

The sentencing was for making a mockery of the courts through the tabloid press. You can get revenge privately.

Is "making a mockery of the courts" the offence that was being sentenced? Is it even a crime?

Well I'd have wanted revenge too. She gave up a great, high flying career because there was a clash of interest when he joined the cabinet. She worked hard to be the main breadwinner so he could pursue his career. She got bullied into taking points etc etc. Then he dumped a few months later he casually dumped her after all those years of marriage.

I think she was so angry, hurt and lost that she lost all sense of reason. She wouldn't be the first woman to do that. But instead she is branded 'manipulative'.

I'm astonished at the people who are sorry for her, she lost any sympathy from me when I learnt that her initial plan was to put an innocent woman, Jo White, under suspicion. perhaps those who feel she is being treated harshly because she's a woman would like to comment on HER lack of female solidarity.

I think the 'manipulative' relates to trying to manipulate the law to her own ends.

I had some sympathy with her until I read the email about changing the words (in the newspaper piece) to protect herself from prosecution. Saying it would need to use words like 'pressured to take the points'.

I was truly shocked at that.

of course she was devious and manipulative. She went to the press not the police, tried to implicate an innocent party and tried to remove herself of any wrongdoing. If she had any remorse she would have just gone to the police and owned up to what she had been a part of not tried to bring down an innocent party..

I have no sympathy for either of them, but I can't help wondering whether prison sentences for these types of crimes are completely disproportionate when you consider that there are criminals who commit worse crime and receive similar or even lesser sentences. Is this an appropriate use of our justice system in a time when prison places are limited and our prisons are already overcrowded? I'm not sure that it is.

It doesn't mean she wasn't pressured though. Just that she wanted to make it clear.

Well at least both of them will be about in time for Christmas with the kids....in a parallel world and justice system, making them see out their sentence in the same cell would have been the only fitting punishment Redtoothbrush

Why isn't there a 'like' button?

She was found guilty and sentenced for perverting the course of justice.

And quite rightly IMO and in the opinion of the jury.

If going to the press, trying to ruin your exs career and stitch up an innocent women isn't manipulative and controlling I don't know what is.

"Is "making a mockery of the courts" the offence that was being sentenced? Is it even a crime?"

No she was sentenced for perjury.
The point regarding making mockery of court proceedings does come into play though when you look at what arguments her legal team can make when arguing why her sentence should be lower and what mitigating factors exist.
They can't say she's showing remorse, they can say she's faced up to her actions etc.
the opposite is true she tried to mislead the courts, she ran a full trial etc.
whether or not the criteria for the crime have been met is dealt with at the trial.
At sentencing there are many things to be considered and the nature and manner in which the accused met the offence will come in to play.
It is a consideration and the manner she decided on left for very little argument as to why her sentence should be lighter or any mitigating factors surrounding the offence.

Well her version was that he had already, without her agreement, nominated her as the driver. He then presented her with the form to sign.

So her choice was to sign or destroy his career, because he had already lied.

Her mistake was going to the press, rather than the police. If she had gone to the police and admitted what had happened from the off, she would have received a caution and his career would have been finished in any case.

But I do think the Judge's remarks were incredibly misogynist. I don't think a man would ever have been called "devious and manipulative". He talks about CH's guilty plea, having lied for two years, as requiring "courage".

Says it all, really.

so olgaga how do you feel about her trying to implicate an innocent woman in this?

He talks about CH's guilty plea, having lied for two years, as requiring "courage". Seriously??? I am beyond appalled now.

I think I am most annoyed about people being 'made examples of'. A lawyer was the radio on earlier. He said that normally people get a police caution for doing this and he has represented many people in this position.

So they are being sent to jail as a warning to all of us not because of what they have actually done. Why not community service for example?

Again the report of Jo White being the driver played NO part in the trial because it was not true and was only said in passing to a reporter some years ago. You cannot sentence someone for something that played no part in the proceedings.

It isn't mysognistic to call a woman manipulative if that is exactly what she is. It has been said many times, she was manipulative because she went to the papers and not to the police. A man who had done what she did would have been manipulative too.

I suspect the reason they have been given significant sentences is to make an example of them both. It is an easy crime to commit - what better than a high profile case like this to get the point home that it is also a serious crime. Anyway, according to the CPS website the sentence range is 4 to 36 months. They were both at the lower end of that. They didn't get treated that harshly.