Thursday 8 October 2009

Who Said Crime Doesn't Pay?

Certainly not the English legal system:
A couple who illegally claimed almost £50,000 in benefits have been given 80 years to pay it back - at just 85p per day.

Brian Payne, 43, will be 120 years old by the time the debt is repaid, while his 39-year-old partner Carol Cripwell will be 116.
Looking at them, I don't think either are likely to see those ages...

And what prompted this amazing leniency? Well, would you be surprised to learn it was 'For the children!!'?
The fraudsters narrowly avoided a prison sentence after a judge at Bristol Crown Court told them it would have a 'catastrophic effect' on their six children.
Presumably, having these two as parents isn't having a catastrophic effect on them then...?
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6 comments:

  1. Dr Melvin T Gray8 October 2009 at 08:24

    Let us never be so harsh to the legal profession as to momentarily contemplate an indebtedness in the sum of £50,000 to one of them would result in another decision.

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  2. Rob8 October 2009 at 09:05

    Given that their benefits will be index-linked but the 'debt' will not, they effectively have an interest free loan spread over 80+ years. Inflation will mean that they have in effect been given a gift of
    at least half of that sum to spend now.

    I don't think they are the sort to be mortified by having a criminal record, do you?

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  3. Old BE8 October 2009 at 09:24

    So theft from the state is not punishable? I must remember to point that out to HMRC when it comes to tax return time.

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  4. Old BE8 October 2009 at 09:27

    "She told the court their youngest child had medical needs"

    I thought the NHS was free at the point of use, how can medical needs possibly be a defence???

    ReplyDelete
  5. JuliaM8 October 2009 at 13:38

    "I don't think they are the sort to be mortified by having a criminal record, do you?"

    Looking at them, clearly 'mortification' isn't in their dictionary...

    "So theft from the state is not punishable? I must remember to point that out to HMRC when it comes to tax return time."

    Let me know how you get on. I bake a mean 'cake with file inside'... ;)

    "I thought the NHS was free at the point of use, how can medical needs possibly be a defence???"

    Beats me - perhaps Nike trainers and Xboxes are 'medical equipment' now?

    ReplyDelete
  6. David Gillies8 October 2009 at 20:52

    Syllogism:

    IF you are in receipt of State aid (AKA taxpayers' money) and

    IF you can afford to feed six children

    THEN benefits are too high.

    ReplyDelete