Location: Albury, New South Wales
Rolfe Harris is going to jail for 6 years. In court today the judge said he had showed no remorse.
Rolfe Harris going to jail
freightgate
Minister for Railways
Location: Albury, New South Wales
Aaron
The Ghost of George Stephenson
Location: University of Adelaide SA
'Manifestly inadequate'
Pressman
Spirit of the Vine
Location: Wherever the Tin Chook or Qantas takes me
'Manifestly inadequate'
Ditto
Aaron
The Ghost of George Stephenson
Location: University of Adelaide SA
Here's what the judge should have said 'You're a depraved monster, whilst many of your crimes were opportunistic, you also used your power and status to groom and victimise young girls. You have exhibited no contrition or remorse, steadfastly maintaining you did nothing wrong (as is your right). You have not taken steps to ameliorate your actions by entering guilty pleas and hence avoiding the need for your victims to publicly give evidence at trial and the public embarrassment they have been through. The court apologises to your victims and wishes them to understand that the shame and embarrassment of this trial belongs not to them, but solely to you. For the 12 counts you have been convicted of by this jury, I propose to set one head sentence of 22 years imprisonment, with a non parole period of 15 years. I can find no reason to provide a discount on this sentence and I see no valid reasons for it's suspension. Goodbye Mr Harris.'
bevans
Site Admin
Location: Melbourne, Australia
As of this morning there are additional people coming out in the media talking about his antics and inappropriate behaviour. I wonder if there will be a legal case against him by all the people who have been adversely affected by his inappropriate actions?
Valvegear
Dr Beeching
Location: Norda Fittazroy
I hope the Crown appeals against the inadequate sentence. An absolute minimum should be 12 years before release.
Aaron
The Ghost of George Stephenson
Location: University of Adelaide SA
The Crown is appealing, but I cannot see them being too successful.
freightgate
Minister for Railways
Location: Albury, New South Wales
The independence of the judiciary will be maintained which we do not always like.
How many years dd that hey dad guy get and how does it compare to Harris ?
How many years dd that hey dad guy get and how does it compare to Harris ?
Aaron
The Ghost of George Stephenson
Location: University of Adelaide SA
The 'Crown' is the prosecution dept, this has nothing to do with judicial interference or independence.
lsrailfan
Chief Commissioner
Location: Somewhere you're not
No matter how important or how high Profile you are, this crime cannot be acceptable, he should have been Jailed for a lot lot longer, Judges need to take stronger stances, they do not, for some reason
Kind Regards
Kind Regards
Donald
Chief Commissioner
Location: Donald. Duck country.
It is the same situation as Hughes - you get sentenced as per the sentencing rules at the time of committing the offences. ie if the penalty was 6 months for what Harris did in 1970, then that is the max he can get, doesn't matter what the penalty is now.
Gman_86
Chief Commissioner
Location: Melton, where the sparks dare not roam!
Hopefully the dirty old mongrel dies behind bars.
Valvegear
Dr Beeching
Location: Norda Fittazroy
He's in for a hard time in the clink. Child molesters ( aka rock spiders ) are hated by the mainstream prison population, and Harris could get a few good hidings unless he's in protective custody. Being a celebrity will make it even harder for him. Warders have been known to "look the other way" at times.
Couldn't happen to a more deserving bloke.
It also fascinates me that his age "was taken into account" during sentencing. For the life of me, I cannot see why anyone gets a bonus for having got away with crime for so long.
Couldn't happen to a more deserving bloke.
It also fascinates me that his age "was taken into account" during sentencing. For the life of me, I cannot see why anyone gets a bonus for having got away with crime for so long.
Braddo
Deputy Commissioner
Location: Narre Warren
We need to bring back capital punishment for scumbags like Harris & Hughes. Molesting a child removes your right to live.
TheBlacksmith
Chief Commissioner
Location: Ankh Morpork
I don't see why 'showing no remorse' has a anything to do with the case. You either did the crime or not. So if he did a Pistorious song-and-dance then it should change the outcome?
However, 'Molesting a child removes your right to live.' ? Really Braddo?
However, 'Molesting a child removes your right to live.' ? Really Braddo?
Valvegear
Dr Beeching
Location: Norda Fittazroy
We need to bring back capital punishment for scumbags like Harris & Hughes. Molesting a child removes your right to live.
Move over, God, Braddo's taken control.
Grantham
Minister for Railways
Location: I'm with stupid!
You can all bellyache about the legal system until the cows come home, but he has been sentenced to crimes that he has been convicted of, and is going to prison. Anyone who thinks any particular sentence is too lenient should try some gaol time themselves. I wouldn't like to be there for a day, let alone years.
The insistence on the need for heavier penalties for every crime isn't good for anything. Next there will be a recommendation that motorists be summarily executed by beheading for any offence that is worth three points.
M
The insistence on the need for heavier penalties for every crime isn't good for anything. Next there will be a recommendation that motorists be summarily executed by beheading for any offence that is worth three points.
M
Camster
Chief Commissioner
Location: Geelong
It seems funny to me how there seems to be no one who is clean. It was not long ago he was being celebrated. All these people who are revered that then fall.
Tiger Woods. Lance Armstrong. Oscar.
About on the night he was found guilty, I was watching my Paul Hogan DVD. There was on skit where he took the mick out of Rolfy and it was hilarious.
Tiger Woods. Lance Armstrong. Oscar.
About on the night he was found guilty, I was watching my Paul Hogan DVD. There was on skit where he took the mick out of Rolfy and it was hilarious.
Aaron
The Ghost of George Stephenson
Location: University of Adelaide SA
Anyone who thinks any particular sentence is too lenient should try some gaol time themselves.
So if one of the girls was your daughter? Or perhaps was your future/current girlfriend or wife? They have life sentences, blocking out this kind of abuse is not like just flicking a switch and having it go away.
I wouldn't like to be there for a day, let alone years.
Gaol is not meant to be easy. How long you'd like to be there is not relevant, the fact remains people go to gaol everyday week for committing far less damaging crimes, his custodial sentence ought to have reflected the life long injuries he inflicted on these girls.
The insistence on the need for heavier penalties for every crime isn't good for anything. Next there will be a recommendation that motorists be summarily executed by beheading for any offence that is worth three points.
That's a stretch, and I find your even tongue in cheek reference to be almost offensive.
Aaron
The Ghost of George Stephenson
Location: University of Adelaide SA
It also fascinates me that his age "was taken into account" during sentencing. For the life of me, I cannot see why anyone gets a bonus for having got away with crime for so long.
That is the root statement behind a very long conversation I had with a couple of lawyer mates and separately with a legislator over the weekend. I am not convinced that not being caught up with for forty (or so) years is cause to discount a custodial sentence (or any punishment really) simply because the respondent has 'less life to live'. Look out for this to hopefully change at least in my home state in the future.
David Peters
Dr Beeching
Location: "With Hey Boy".
They should bring back capital punishment hanging etc for crimes like these that way there are no repeat offenders and less money has to be spent protecting them in jails as well!
Groundrelay
Chief Commissioner
Location: Surrounded by Trolls!
Will Australian victims get their day in an Australian court???
After all he is (was) an Australian citizen who (allegedly) did the same thing here.
Bring him here, try him and if convicted add any sentence to what the Poms dished out.
After all he is (was) an Australian citizen who (allegedly) did the same thing here.
Bring him here, try him and if convicted add any sentence to what the Poms dished out.
TheBlacksmith
Chief Commissioner
Location: Ankh Morpork
Will Australian victims get their day in an Australian court???
After all he is (was) an Australian citizen who (allegedly) did the same thing here.
Bring him here, try him and if convicted add any sentence to what the Poms dished out.
Hardly, he spent most of his life living in England, he was only a visitor here. The poms are welcome to him.
TheBlacksmith
Chief Commissioner
Location: Ankh Morpork
They should bring back capital punishment hanging etc for crimes like these that way there are no repeat offenders and less money has to be spent protecting them in jails as well!
You and Braddo should get together, you would have lots to discuss. And I might (vainly) point out that even when we had capital punishment, it was never applied to sex offenders, only murderers. Rednecks.....
justapassenger
Minister for Railways
They should bring back capital punishment hanging etc for crimes like these that way there are no repeat offenders and less money has to be spent protecting them in jails as well!Execution is more expensive than imprisonment, increases the crime rate, and increases both the rate and severity of repeat offences as criminals on the run commit much more severe crimes in an effort not to get captured.
There's also the issue of innocent people being found guilty by a bent legal system, an area in which it is well established that the Australian justice system is far from infallible. A falsely imprisoned person can be released, a falsely executed person cannot be un-executed.
I would be in favour of a constitutional amendment banning judicial execution in Australia, just to make sure there's an extra layer of protection in case the uninformed minority in support of it ever get loud enough for the politicians to act on it.
After all he is (was) an Australian citizen …Source? He was born in 1930 to British parents, well before Australian citizenship came into being in 1948, and he is therefore a British citizen unless it is documented that he later took Australian citizenship.
He apparently travels on a British passport as normal practice (you get an express lane at airports in the EU this way) and I don't know if he still has an Australian passport - if he does it should be withdrawn immediately. Even if he does have an Australian passport, it is only a document committing Australian consular officials to vouch for that person's identity and not a document establishing or proving citizenship - any nation may issue passports to whoever they want including to non-citizens.
Will Australian victims get their day in an Australian court???Can't see it happening. After the media circus surrounding this trial, it would be impossible to select a jury for such a trial and I can't see any of the state governments concluding that it's in the public interest to spend many millions of taxpayer dollars on having a crack at a prosecution.
…
Bring him here, try him and if convicted add any sentence to what the Poms dished out.
A civil suit for damages might be possible as there would be no jury required and the judge would decide on balance of probabilities (not beyond reasonable doubt as in a criminal trial) but he probably has all his wealth stashed away beyond reach of any bailiffs here.
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