Wednesday 19 August 2009

Throwing Money Down The Drain...

A documentary film-maker was hauled into court on a charge of stealing electricity worth 0.003p.

But by the time the ludicrous case was dropped, the bill to taxpayers was more than £5,000.

Mark Guard, 44, had to appear at two separate hearings before the Crown Prosecution Service finally saw sense.
Why would a man be persecuted like this?

Well, here's a clue:
Mr Guard, who makes documentaries about crime and the homeless...
Heads should roll for this...

8 comments:

Dr Melvin T Gray said...

Both made low budget films around the same plot lines - an army of cops mistakenly hounding the solitary, intrepid hero.

The only difference between Mark Guard's police and Mack Sennett's Keystone Cops, is intelligence.

Rob said...

Nine police officers turned up within, what, 15 minutes? How often does housebreaking or burglary produce this sort of stellar response?

Whoever at the CPS pushed this to a prosecution needs to be fired, now.

David Gillies said...

Fired? A pretty hefty chunk of the police force and CPS need to be fired, all right. Wood-fired. The anencephalic mattress-stains that thought persecuting this guy was a judicious use of public funds need to be instructed differently via the application of excruciating and life-ending pain.

I am so sick of reading, even from 8000 km away, of how malign the State has become in the UK that I am afraid to even set foot back there, lest I get nicked by some jumped-up Gauleiter for an imaginary infraction. And every time I reassure myself with the thought that that is just paranoia, I read something like this and think again.

Mike said...

I know how this feels. Unfortunately I do not believe that the CPS will publicly be held to account and have to admit I think the police were only following orders. While the orders may have been wrong, coppers are only coppers when they follow orders. Bit of a catch 22 when someone wants to be a copper and they are ordered to do something antisocial.

I think the clue is in the name CPS. A service that acts to prosecute wherever a conviction could possibly be brought on behalf of the crown and act in the public's best interests that rightly expects people to be treated as innocent until proven guilty. Again, not exactly symbiotic drivers.

JuliaM said...

"The only difference between Mark Guard's police and Mack Sennett's Keystone Cops, is intelligence."

You'd think the CPS would have an eye to their budgets though, wouldn't you?

"Nine police officers turned up within, what, 15 minutes? How often does housebreaking or burglary produce this sort of stellar response?"

If you're a Minister, probably it would...

"I am so sick of reading, even from 8000 km away, of how malign the State has become in the UK that I am afraid to even set foot back there..."

Can't see it getting better under Dave's mob either, having seen his plan to combat the 'drinks culture' this morning.

NickM said...

I suspect part of the reason this went so far is that... Stealing electricity is pumped up to be a vastly more serious crime than it appears on the surface. There is a cute reason for this. Before they could frame legislation against hackers that is what they used to prosecute them under. And yes the amounts were similarly ludicrous. Pennies and often much, much less.

NickM said...

Oh and how come a night in the police cells costs 385 quid!

What sort of hotel room or suite with room-service and everything costs that much?

A very bloody nice one.

Mike said...

"You'd think the CPS would have an eye to their budgets though, wouldn't you?"

They may well have but clearly no interest in any budget that is similarly funded by the public but not signed for by the CPS.