London Councillor steals from you, but doesn't go to jail

[Tortington]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/8707518/Benefit-cheat-councillor-escapes-jail-despite-admitting-12k-fraud.html

now theres a surprise NOT!

the sight of Hazel Blears discussing the rioters in the house of commons turned my stomach, she should be inside too

its the total hypocrisy that makes this stink

and whats charlie and camilla doing? jesus they have as much an idea as the man on the moon how young people live these days

and david cameron having to cut short his tuscany holiday to deal with the rioters...............jesus h. christ, at least we're all in it together

and don't get me started on the smug tory chancellor, jesus jesus christ

i really hate the total injustice of it all, why do the politicians think we'll listen to them as they are busy ripping off whatever and whoever they can, lining their own pockets, 2 fingers uo to everyone then tutting and shaking their heads at the rioters, wondering how they can steal from shops whilst the politicians are stealing much more from less obvious sources?

INDEED

Gaoled for a month suspended for a year is hardly getting off scott free. Also a heroin addict. Who voted for him in the first place? He now has a criminal record to add to his woes so I don't think he's demonstrating how to get away with it.

BTW... n the Charles and Camilla thing. I hate inverse snobbery. Just because someone has a privileged life or plenty of money does not mean they automatically lack empathy. Charles has been running his Prince's Trust charity for years. At least he puts his money where his mouth is. And why shouldn't a PM take a break? There's always some kind of crisis going on and the police claim they didn't want politicans turning up - they could handle it themselves. Blears is a waste of space, however. How the people of Salford have been duped into still voting for her is a mystery.

i like charles and actually think your quite right about the princes trust.

but there is a difference between this sentence, and those of the looters.

why is this?

well i think it is becuase

he is a councillor
the judge hasn't been encouraged to 'ignore the rule book'
it wsn;t an attack on business and property - just our taxes

His crimes were not carried out in a 'riot wrapper'... that's the real difference and nothing to do with position or taxes. An ordinary bit of petty shoplifting doesn't attract custodial sentences normally, but a bit of shoplifting in a riot context becomes a very different crime with different sentencing guidelines. BTW Courts are the last people to ignore rule books because all it means is that they see the same people back again on appeal - taking up more time.

no, there is distinct inequality.