If only cowboy plumbers were treated the same....

[bengasman]

I agree with Joe on this one. The chap hasn't committed a heinous crime....

No? He stole thousands up on thousands of pounds from the taxpayer, e.g. you and I.
I wonder what you would say if somebody stole that amount from you alone by hacking into your computer and emptying your bank account as a result of which you would go bust and lost your house.

What would you say? Fine him? Community service?

 

[wreckedit]

Bengas, absolutely no need to exaggerate or inflate the loss to the public he cheated money out of the system. He didn't go any further than that.
He was given the money by a bunch of idiots to lazy to check up on him. How would you feel if you had employed people like that in your business, well we did.

I think he stole something like .002 of a penny from you and me.

Now a heinous crime is as I said in my previous post something quite repulsive where somebodies life has been change traumatically and forever.
Like murder, rape or beating a child or old person for the fun of it.

 

[bengasman]

Bengas, absolutely no need to exaggerate or inflate the loss to the public he cheated money out of the system. He didn't go any further than that.

He did go a lot further than that.
He was put in a position of utmost trust, and then knowingly, willingly, repeatedly stole ( defrauded, embezzled, call it what you want ) money from the people that gave him that trusted position.
That is as bad, if not worse as a nurse/carer stealing from a disabled patient, or a judge acquitting drugsdealers, or a copper taking bribes.
I most certainly call that heinous.

As for the amount he stole: it is common practice to only prosecute a habitual criminal for a small number of cases that are easy and clear to prove. The amount he was done for was not all he stole, but just a minute part of the tip of the iceberg.

 

[Space cat]

made to do 500 hours community service

The principle is sound enough. Prison costs us, the taxpayers, a lot of money and should be reserved for dangerous criminals. I also tend to agree that people with money to burn laugh at fines.

The problem with community service orders is that they are far too short. Five hundred hours is about the time you spend awake each month so lets replace that 18 month sentence with 9000 hours and see if he still laughs.

 

[joinerjohn]

Even community service costs the taxpaying public money though. The probation service receives funding from the government.
Although with community service, there is some sort of payback. As Space Cat says, perhaps community service sentences should be upped. Make them at least 1000 hrs, and make the criminals work both Saturday's and Sundays. 8hrs at a time.
This country has become far too soft on criminals though. We either need serious changes in sentencing guidelines, or changes to the law. For the career criminals though, prisons should become harsh environments. So harsh that they don't want to go back.

 

[joe-90]

A fine based on wealth would be better. If he is worth 10 million and gets a fine of 10% - you do the maths.

 

[misterdubya]

A fine based on wealth would be better. If he is worth 10 million and gets a fine of 10% - you do the maths.

By that rationell, can Admin remove 10% of your worthless posts. Your plumbing advice is criminal.

Mr. W.