[Update] Policewoman Jailed For Not Arresting Burglar is freed pending appeal

denphone · 26-08-2011, 08:55

A police officer who failed to arrest a convicted thief because she â€˜could not be botheredâ€™ was yesterday jailed for a year.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...t-burglar.html

http://news.sky.com/home/article/16056790

Gary L · 26-08-2011, 09:06

Sounds like she was tired and just wanted to go home when her shift finished.

**Chris** · 26-08-2011, 09:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary L

Sounds like she was tired and just wanted to go home when her shift finished.

Sounds like you couldn't be bothered to read the article ...

Derek · 26-08-2011, 10:09

An absolutely outrageous decision. Unless there is far more to this than has been reported, and I don't believe there is, there is no way she should have been convicted let alone jailed for 12 months.

The very first thing you are taught in training, even before the diversity brainwashing, is about discretion. This sounds like a bit of 'old fashioned' policing where instead of going through a long, drawn out paper trail the criminals tools were removed from him and disposed of.

All this has done is ruin one woman's life. Ensure another one is never trusted again and make 8,000 cops in Strathclyde petrified of cutting any corners whatsoever in case they end up inside for far longer than most criminals get.

**Chris** · 26-08-2011, 10:10

I must admit, I'm surprised he jailed her.

danielf · 26-08-2011, 10:14

Quite. Seeing she's resigned anyway, I do wonder what purpose it serves to lock her up.

denphone · 26-08-2011, 10:14

Yes l find it a quite staggering decision and you have to wonder where we are going with this type of decision.

Gary L · 26-08-2011, 10:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

Sounds like you couldn't be bothered to read the article ...

I must have to have come up with my conclusion.

what's yours?

MovedGoalPosts · 26-08-2011, 10:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek

An absolutely outrageous decision. Unless there is far more to this than has been reported, and I don't believe there is, there is no way she should have been convicted let alone jailed for 12 months.

The very first thing you are taught in training, even before the diversity brainwashing, is about discretion. This sounds like a bit of 'old fashioned' policing where instead of going through a long, drawn out paper trail the criminals tools were removed from him and disposed of.

All this has done is ruin one woman's life. Ensure another one is never trusted again and make 8,000 cops in Strathclyde petrified of cutting any corners whatsoever in case they end up inside for far longer than most criminals get.

Agreed. It seems well over the top. If it was such a clear cut case that the person should be arrested, why didn't the other police officer, even if they were junior, not do it?

Derek · 26-08-2011, 10:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob

Agreed. It seems well over the top. If it was such a clear cut case that the person should be arrested, why didn't the other police officer, even if they were junior, not do it?

It does sound like a pretty clear cut case of 'going equipped' and if the other one felt strongly enough she should have done it or at least challenged the decision in the car.

At most I would have thought a reprimand was in order, not a criminal charge or prison.

Dai · 26-08-2011, 13:38

Derek, although you and I are in agreement on a lot of stuff I have to disagree on this one.

"Selby told him: We know you are trying to break in and if we didn't have another call to go to you would be getting the jail."

She had some letters to deliver !!

I agree she doesn't deserve to be imprisoned but she certainly shouldn't be a police officer with priorities like that.

**Maggy** · 26-08-2011, 14:05

I would think she would be appealing the sentence..

Derek · 26-08-2011, 14:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaiNasty

I agree she doesn't deserve to be imprisoned but she certainly shouldn't be a police officer with priorities like that.

There are times when the letter of the law is slightly bent to make things work. Sometimes a bit of leeway is given for a variety of reasons. Going equipped is the high end of the scale but I can see reasons why she did what she did.

She stopped any potential break-in and removed the tools he had.

This seems to send out the message that anything less than zero tolerance policing could result in you ending up in pokey which I really don't think the public want.

Of course for any professional standards people looking in I never cut any corners ever.

MovedGoalPosts · 26-08-2011, 14:29

Yes she might have been subject to disciplinary procedures and in turn that might even have lead to dismissal. But a jail sentence, probably much longer than the attempted burglar would ever have got seems very excessive. There has to be something else here that isn't apparent from the media reports.

It's worth noting that although officers might claim to someone "we know you did it" that is often going to be a gambit to see if they can get an offender to open up and admit something. It isn't going to be proof.

Derek · 26-08-2011, 14:36

It seems Sheriff Richard Clark isn't quite as harsh with non-cops who come up in front of him.

http://www.westlothiancourier.co.uk/...2405-23503316/

Quote:

Ordering Horribine to carry out 80 hours of community service Sheriff Richard Clark said: “You appear as a first offender in the court.

“But nevertheless you appear on a charge where you have breached a position of trust which the court treats very seriously.

“Having regards to the terms of your report I am satisfied it is a case where custody could have been imposed.

“However, I am willing to deal with it by means of community service. This has been imposed as a direct alternative to imprisonment.”

Or for disqualified drivers who crash into Police cars.

http://www.westlothiancourier.co.uk/...2405-23503168/

Quote:

A DISQUALIFIED driver who smashed into a police car after being clocked speeding at 60mph in Fauldhouse Main Street has narrowly avoided jail.

Banning him from the roads for five years, ordering him to carry out 200 hours of community service and placing him on probation for 30 months, Sheriff Richard Clark told Docherty: “As it has been very clearly said on your behalf the offences which are in front of the court are such which would normally lead to the imposition of a custodial sentence.

But hey if a cop does something then lock her up and throw away the key.