Wednesday 14 March 2012

When (Underclass) Friends Fall Out…

A mother-of-four who spent money she collected from former friends for a Christmas hamper fund has avoided a prison sentence.
I can see why they are described as ‘former’ friends…

Though, reading on, it doesn’t appear to have been the
theft that precipitated this, oh, dear me, no…
Nick Ryles, mitigating, said Sales accepted the offence was aggravated by the fact it was a breach of trust.

He said Sales was a long-standing friend of the Williams family but the relationship soured after the complainants gave evidence against one of her sons in a court case.
Ah….
"She clearly felt very aggrieved," said Mr Ryles.

"She did not pay the money to Park but kept it for herself and paid some to her son. It was a payback for all the spiteful things they had done."
It’s ‘spiteful’ to give evidence in a court case?
He added: "She is a single parent with four children living at home.

"Money is tight. Temptation got the better of her. She took the money without paying it into the account as she should have done."
Yes, and that’s why she was charged.
Mr Ryles said if Sales was sent to prison it would also affect her children.
It sounds like it already has!
The magistrates sentenced Sales to a 12-month community order, with 12 months' supervision and 40 hours' unpaid work. She was also ordered to pay £700 compensation and £85 costs.
So, guess who’s really paying that?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

"So, guess who’s really paying that?" Well, I thought that was obvious, the defendent.

JuliaM said...

Guess again. She doesn't work. WE'RE paying it. The people who DO work.

Stonyground said...

Sorry to be OT but why do people post as Anonymous? Most people use a psuedonym because it is generally unwise to use your real name on internet fora. Using Anonymous makes you difficult to respond to because we don't know if we are adressing the same Anonymous each time. How hard is it to think up a witty nickname for yourself?

This particular Anonymous is being unbelievably naive.

Macheath said...

'if Sales was sent to prison it would also affect her children'.

It sounds like it already has!


Odd that there's no mention of a case against the son who took a cut of the cash - presumably the same one who was up in court last year.

Taken with the nature of the mitigation plea, this suggests he is a juvenile, in which case you have hit the nail squarely on the head.

JuliaM said...

"Sorry to be OT but why do people post as Anonymous? "

I wish I knew! I think, like some Amazonian tribes, they think Google's use of their name (even a nom de plume) confers some strange power over them. ;)

"Odd that there's no mention of a case against the son..."

Not worth pursuing, I expect. It's not like they'll never see him again, I'm sure.

David Gillies said...

I post with my real name. I stand by the things I write, none of which is generally terribly contentious, and it's not like I have to worry overmuch about retaliation from Islamomongs where I live.