Handyman jailed for planting porn on boss's computer

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

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.

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.

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.

[Peter_]

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.

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

[watzizname]

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

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

Yay for Newstracker

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]

Originally Posted by watzizname

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

Hello BBC readers. my name's Gary!

Stupid thing for the man to do.

[Flyboy]

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]

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?

Originally Posted by nomadking

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

possessing indecent images of children

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

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by Hugh

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.

Originally Posted by nomadking

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.

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?

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.

[nomadking]

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:-

Sentence should normally be consecutive to substantive offence.

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]

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]

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

[budwieser]

Not a funny crime but...........
Mr weiner.