Vicky Pryce is guilty

[UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea]

I don't think she is getting flak because she is a woman, she is getting it because she broke the law and because she dragged her family through the papers and the courts when they were already badly damaged by her exh.

Springdiva - having just done jury service, they tell you on all the forms and information that it is an offence not to turn up and that it is punishable by prison. There is no way, if he bothered to read the forms, including ones that you sign to say you have read and understood your responsibilities, that he wouldn't have known that. Although we don't often hear of people going to prison I doubt many get caught out like this.

There are exceptions to every rule, of course, but years of observation of the political scene - occasionally at close quarters - means I'm fairly convinced my generalisations about the leftie establishment are fair, nuclear. if you count yourslef a member of this class all I can say is you're keeping some pretty dubious company. I look forward to hearing your impressions of Pentonville.

they tell you on all the forms and information that it is an offence not to turn up and that it is punishable by prison

Thanks for that BigBoobie, I hadn't bothered to read the news articles property realised that.

I don't believe for a second that she was forced to take the points.

I also don't believe she decided to tell the truth now because it was the right thing to do. She did it because she was angry, upset, humiliated etc and wanted revenge.

Look. She has been found guilty of perverting the cause of justice. She is no different to anyone else. She deserves the appropriate punsihment for the crime she committed. This is 21st Century, women are supposed to be equal. It's a bit lame to plead that she was forced into breaking the law. No sympathy here.

Karlos are you Anne Widdecombe in disguise?

I am happy to say I have friends at both ends of the political spectrum, but would never dream of insulting those I disagree with as being 'dubious company'.

I hope they end up in the same cell.

This has to be one of the best examples of mutually assured destruction I've ever seen.

I admit I felt sorry for her outside court. She looked sick. I couldn't take any delight in it. I still think it was the right verdict though.

I even felt a little bit sorry for Huhne. Not much. Even though I wouldn't have done it I could understand someone thinking: 'How could something I thought was so simple have exploded so catastrophically?'

Sometimes the kindness of my heart runs away with me. It's not likely to get very far though

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" Huhne should have thought about that one!

Hell have no fury like a woman scorned, but this came back to bite her on the bu big time, she was wrong to lie for him.

You are missing the point, nuclear. My criticism is not of people who hold left wing views generally (at least, not at the moment). my criticism is of a wing of the political establishment which prides itself on its terribly inclusive, compassionate, open-minded etc etc views but is in terms of its personal conduct pretty disgusting.

bum

I think scorned men can be quite destructive too mumzy. The courts see far more of them.

Oh I see.

But the right-wing doesn't pretend to be inclusive or compassionate, so it doesn't matter if the personal conduct of individuals sometimes falls short?

I feel more sorry for her - he is horrid. Before the first trial I thought maybe she'd be found not guilty. But there must have been evidence she did it willingly for them to find her guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

Apparently looks likely they will both get a custodial sentence.

I can easily believe she was coerced, but then many people have found it hard to believe that a professional woman, a solicitor like me, can be a victim of domestic violence. But I am.

Being a professional woman isn't a suit of armour.

She must really hate him to do this, knowing that she would be incriminated as well.

What makes it even worse is that having got themselves into a situation where it was clear they had brokeen the law they both tried to get away with it, he by wasting lots of court time and running up enormous costs by saying the case should never have been brought and she by advancing this strange defence that given her background was never going to work. One of her friends speaking on radio 4 this evening said she had been badly served by her legal team and I think he was right.

I'm really pee'd off that she has been found guilty. I mean I know she was, really, guilty of perverting the course of justice but he instigated all of this.

Woman: it's not at all unusual for women to put their husbands/children above themselves. It's pretty typical to have that happen day-to-day actually and there's been no acknowledgement of this from the jury as far as I can see.

I don't think justice has been done here. I think she should have got off. I hope she can appeal. If only because I feel so sorry for their poor kids. She is clearly the better parent and I suspect their kids will need her more than they need him at this difficult time.

I'm a bit worried that Chris Huhne will be treated more leniently than her when it comes to sentencing. After all he pleaded guilty so that it never needed to go to trial.

Anyone know if his guilty plea entitles him to more lenient sentencing?

"But the right-wing doesn't pretend to be inclusive or compassionate, so it doesn't matter if the personal conduct of individuals sometimes falls short? "

i'm not quite sure what this is trying to egt at, but if you are wondering whether I prefer those who are upfront about being unprincipled wankers to those who try and convince themselves (and everyone else) that they are not, the answer is yes.
The Polly Toynbees of this world, who leap to defend in their friends vices which they have no hesitation in condemning in those with whom they disagree politcally (and don't hesitate to vilify personally) are revolting hypocrites. And stupid too, because they cannot perceive how transparent they are to everyone else. but as I say, they do have a certain comedy value.

Normally a guilty plea gets you a lesser setence but he wasted so much court time with his spurious arguments that the case should be throw out that I suspect he won't. You also only gert much credit for a guilty plea if it is "timely" and the case was prepared and ready to roll when he announced his change of plea.

There has been comment today that people feel sorry for her because once he had nominated her as driver she had little option other than to go along wit it, but he could have changed his information and indicated he had been mistaken and he was the driver on that particular day and nothing would have come of this.

I think we have to face the fact that if Huhne had been able to attempt to resurrect some ancient defence to save his sorry arse he'd have done it so i agree, minimal credit for guilty plea there.
If she had any brains she'd have realised the "husband made me" line would have played much better as mitigation than as defence. (a) it wouldn;t have faced anything like the same level of challenge. (b) she could have combined it with coming clean and feeling re,morse. Might even have won her a non-custodial penalty if she'd played it right. Stupid, stupid woman.

I think she was tried for the crime of being 'bitter' and the misdemeanour of having a professional career, both gendered offences.

I agree with KatieMiddleton's post.

The pair if them are pretty repulsive but she takes the biscuit for playing out there frankly unintersting problems in the papers. Letting her son know his Dad wanted him aborted beggars belief. A the cost of 3 trials for 2 people is disgusting.
This is a good example of what she was tried for.