12 Comments
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Prue King's avatar

We can take a lot of good advice from Finland. Locking people away may prevent them from committing crime but seems in many cases to be a form of further criminal education.

Jackie Kemp's avatar

That’s a great point

John Cadden's avatar

Spot oan, if they go inside quite young, it's almost like an apprenticeship for some, learn aw the tricks ae the "trade".

Bryan Stuart's avatar

Woops! Wasn’t it Louis the 16th who got his head chopped off? Sun King Louis XIV (that’s 14th Jackie!) built Versailles, made France a superpower and reigned for over 72 years, dying in his bed.

Jackie Kemp's avatar

You’re right of course! He built Versailles. I’ve always got them confused. Thank you. I’ll fix it in the online version

Bernard Maguire's avatar

I strongly agree on the need to end the resort to imprisonment, unless of course it’s to ensure the safety of the rest of us. The reoffending rate tells its own story.

Aileen Harrison's avatar

I’m inclined to agree, can’t see the point of a prison sentence, should make reparations in other ways that fit the crime. I suspect there is a mental health issue here, may become clearer at sentencing hearing

Jackie Kemp's avatar

Yes - I guess there might be mitigation or the judge might ask for some assessment.

Ian Morrison's avatar

The money he’s defrauded isn’t, in my eyes, the main point to this story, but rather its confirmation of how the authoritarian grip the Murrells had on the party led to the loss of many good people, the corruption of its internal governance and the derailing of both its central purpose and of the chances of it providing good government for the country. It might on one hand seem a bit pointless sending him to jail but then again, maybe not.

Heracles Sakalis's avatar

What would happen to a Finnish Michelle Mone? Murrell didn't even use half of the things he bought - clear symptom of a pathological shopping addiction akin to gambling addiction and cocaine addiction. As opposed to Michelle Mone.

Everyone who lets Peter Murrell distract them from the Michelle Mones and the billionaires is a mug.

Michael's avatar

I don’t know what kind of relationship you have,or think that the Murrells had,but in ours we communicate with each other about what is happening.Yet you believe that it’s entirely credible she knew nothing!! Really?

Jackie Kemp's avatar

There are lots of ways of being married. You are fortunate to have a strong and close marriage but not all marriages are like that.