Cable Forum - Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

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Maggy

23-09-2010 18:00

Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11397515

Quote:

A handyman who planted child pornography on his boss's computer in a bid to get promoted has been jailed.
Neil Weiner, 40, hatched the "wickedly evil and vile plot" to get caretaker Eddie Thompson sacked from Swanlea Secondary School in east London.
He sent police a CD containing 177 indecent images of children claiming they were from Mr Thompson's laptop.
Weiner was jailed for 12 years for perverting the course of justice and possessing indecent images of children.

Quote:

Mr Thompson and his wife became afraid to leave the house, after he received threats and they were spat at in public, because details of the allegations were leaked by Weiner to a local newspaper.

Quote:

Police had been careful not to make public their arrest of the caretaker and only informed those at the school who needed to know, he said.
"But you gratuitously and spitefully informed the local press so that he and his wife suffered the distress of the unwelcome publicity which followed," Judge Paget said.

What a nasty thing to do. :mad:

Peter_

23-09-2010 18:08

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

The worse thing here is that some people will probably still believe it was the owner not the handyman who commited this horrendous crime and still shun them.:mad:

Tuftus

23-09-2010 19:27

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

And there is one very good reason for secure passwords and to *always* lock your workstation when you are away from your desk.

watzizname

23-09-2010 19:55

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Interesting to see a link back to this very thread, on the BBC page.

Quote:

From other news sites
Wimbledon Guardian School porn plot man given 12 years 40 mins ago
*
Bramley Today 12 years jail for porn 'vile plot' 42 mins ago
*
The Independent 12 years in jail for man in 'vile' porn plot new 57 mins ago
*
Cable Forum Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer 59 mins ago
*
Telegraph Handyman jailed for child porn plot to win promotion 1 hr ago

Yay for Newstracker

Damien

23-09-2010 20:44

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

I have removed a few off-topic posts. Please remember that, given the subject matter, to be careful in how you joke about it :)

Gary L

24-09-2010 00:14

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Quote:

Originally Posted by watzizname (Post 35096975)

Interesting to see a link back to this very thread, on the BBC page.

Hello BBC readers. my name's Gary! :wavey:

Stupid thing for the man to do.

Flyboy

24-09-2010 15:47

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Twelve years seems to be a little steep (not that I am saying he doesn't deserve a long jail sentence), considering some paedophiles don't even get sent to jail.

nomadking

24-09-2010 16:35

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Isn't this like where women make false allegations of rape or other accusations, especially in divorce cases. How many of them even got 12 months or even charged in the first place?

Hugh	24-09-2010 16:42

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking (Post 35097491)

Isn't this like where women make false allegations of rape or other accusations, especially in divorce cases. How many of them even got 12 months or even charged in the first place?

Partially, but there is the addition of

Quote:

possessing indecent images of children

which is, imho, probably the main reason for the length of the jail sentence.

nomadking

24-09-2010 17:27

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh (Post 35097496)

Partially, but there is the addition of which is, imho, probably the main reason for the length of the jail sentence.

Dodging the question, as happens all too often.

Sentences in this country are concurrent not consecutive. As the maximum for the indecent images(which weren't held for sexual gratification) is 10 years(CPS website), then the 12 years must be for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Maggy

24-09-2010 17:37

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking (Post 35097514)

So you want to get this man a lesser sentence because some women give false allegations of rape and don't get 12 years for it?:confused:

What he did was despicable and illegal twofold. Firstly he tried to get someone sent to prison for a crime they did not commit.Secondly he committed the offence which he tried to get someone else sentenced for..6 years for each offence seems more than equitable to me especially as he will get time off for good behaviour.:rolleyes:

nomadking

24-09-2010 18:18

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Quote:

Sentence should normally be consecutive to substantive offence.

Quote:

false allegation of crime resulting in arrest of innocent person - 4 to 12 months.

Although if the perverting the course of justice offence relates to getting the guy in trouble, then there is no substantive offence.

Still doesn't add up to anywhere near 12 years and still doesn't address my question about the many similar cases.

Flyboy

24-09-2010 18:34

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Mark Knopfler or Chris Langham didn't get that long. They used the excuse that they were only doing research. In the terms of the possession charge, I can't see the difference.

speedfreak

24-09-2010 18:36

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Has he not distributed it by putting it on someone elses PC?

budwieser

24-09-2010 19:11

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Not a funny crime but...........
Mr weiner. :erm: :D

Maggy

24-09-2010 19:15

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking (Post 35097537)

The indecent images weren't going to be distributed in any way or even used for sexual gratification, so that offence by itself might only warrant a caution(as in other cases). He didn't directly try to get the guy sent to jail, just sacked.

It seems perverting the course of justice is one of the instances where consecutive sentences can be used.
From CPS website:-
Although if the perverting the course of justice offence relates to getting the guy in trouble, then there is no substantive offence.

Still doesn't add up to anywhere near 12 years and still doesn't address my question about the many similar cases.

1st point ,IMMATERIAL he still committed a crime and I suspect that the judge had little leeway EVEN if he had wanted it.

2nd point I think you have got that wrong as well.

Finally what similar cases? Can you provide any examples?

Hugh	24-09-2010 19:17

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking (Post 35097514)

Dodging the question, as happens all too often.

Sentences in this country are concurrent not consecutive. As the maximum for the indecent images(which weren't held for sexual gratification) is 10 years(CPS website), then the 12 years must be for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

You really are a piece of work - I was trying to provide a potential explanation (but I wouldn't know, not being the judge), not justify or dodge.:erm:

Maggy

24-09-2010 19:17

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flyboy (Post 35097544)

Mark Knopfler or Chris Langham didn't get that long. They used the excuse that they were only doing research. In the terms of the possession charge, I can't see the difference.

I don't think there is any case of claiming to be doing research here.

---------- Post added at 18:17 ---------- Previous post was at 18:17 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedfreak (Post 35097547)

Has he not distributed it by putting it on someone elses PC?

Exactly!

watzizname

24-09-2010 21:40

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

His possessing and making (burning to disc is classed as making) indecent images of children was bad enough, but he also distributed said images with malicious intent.

The fact is that if Mr Weiner had succeeded, the accused wouldn't have just gone to prison and had to remain on the sex offenders register for 5 years or so, he would probably have remained on various databases and suffered an unwarranted stigma for the rest of his life.

Social services would also be informed, meaning he wouldn't be allowed to be around any child or vulnerable person unless another adult was present, so thats his career and home life destroyed.

Any idea that Mr Weiner might not have considered "the big picture" and just how seriously it would have affected his victim is irrelevant in the eyes of the law..
something about how ignorance of the law is not a defense..

I don't think 12 years was too harsh a punishment..

Flyboy

25-09-2010 02:05

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

I wasn't saying that it was too harsh, but merely pointing out that it wasn't the same as some others have received for technically worse crimes.

nomadking

25-09-2010 02:52

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggy J (Post 35097581)

I not sure which thing I am meant to have got wrong.

Quote:

Weiner launched the plot in 2006, hoping to get Mr Thompson sacked from the school in Whitechapel, so that he could be promoted, the Old Bailey heard.

The 10 year maximum sentence for the indecent images and the use of consecutive sentences were taken directly from the CPS website.

No similar cases? You are joking.:shocked:

The CPS website lists some selected examples for the purpose of sentencing guidelines. The only listed example that comes even close to the length of sentence, is one involving an original crime of murder and intimidation and attempted bribery of a witness, and I would have thought that the bulk of that sentence was for the intimidation and attempted bribery part.

Maggy

25-09-2010 09:44

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking (Post 35097840)

I not sure which thing I am meant to have got wrong.
The 10 year maximum sentence for the indecent images and the use of consecutive sentences were taken directly from the CPS website.

No similar cases? You are joking.:shocked:

The CPS website lists some selected examples for the purpose of sentencing guidelines. The only listed example that comes even close to the length of sentence, is one involving an original crime of murder and intimidation and attempted bribery of a witness, and I would have thought that the bulk of that sentence was for the intimidation and attempted bribery part.

You said similar cases.Those are not similar cases.

Anyway I'm not bothered. I think I'll leave it to the judge on this one.No doubt if you are correct he'll appeal and get off completely..:rolleyes:

nomadking

25-09-2010 10:05

Re: Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

Similar in that there are many cases where the intention is to get someone sent to prison for a sex offence. Sometimes those accused get lucky with things like CCTV footage, or the accuser eventually owns up to the Police or inadvertently to a third party. Sometimes it gets as far as the accused being sent to jail and sometimes(or it may be often) the accuser is not even charged.

The example I gave was simply an indication of what usually had to be involved to get a sentence of anywhere near that length.

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