Lord Hanningfield free after NINE weeks

[dipsydoodle]

* Shamed Tory Peer Lord Hanningfield has been released from prison after serving nine weeks of his nine-month sentence for fiddling taxpayers out of £14,000.

http://www.essexcountystandard.co.uk/news/9236515.IN_TODAY_S_GAZETTE__Lord_Hanningfield_free_after_NINE_weeks/

[non sociopath skin]

1. Let's just hope he never nicks any bottled water from Lidl ...

... or they'll REALLY throw the book at him.

The Skin

[oldironside]

2. Just as a request for information...

... what happened to that coloured chap found guilty of the same thing?

Ah. Still banged up after three and half months, and he nicked 3 grand less. He should claim Altzheimers.

[oldironside]

3. My mistake.

Taylor's out as well.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/jailed-expenses-fraud-peers-freed-2353434.html

[dipsydoodle]

5. The oddity now

is that they get even more : no longer classed as expenses - see last para below.

The former pig farmer said he had treated the Lords expenses for staying overnight in London as an allowance for living outside the capital and spent just "a minute a month" completing his claim forms.

He insisted his parliamentary duties had left him thousands of pounds out of pocket and said he had "averaged out" his claims to recoup some of the money he spent.

At the time, peers - who are not paid a salary - were able to claim up to £174-a-night when attending Parliament, if their main home was outside London, along with a daily allowance to cover out-of-pocket costs for office work, food and taxis.

However, reforms introduced in the wake of the parliamentary expenses scandal have meant that - since last October - they have been eligible for a daily attendance allowance of £300, or £150 for those attending only part of a sitting day.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14881229

[T_i_B]

4. I suppose he'll be after his old Tory Council seat next

Until he was kicked off Essex County Council (whom he lead for many years) he represented Stock, a staunchly Tory rural part of Essex where the locals would quite happily re-elect him as long as he wears a blue rosette.

[LeftishBrit]

6. Good job he wasn't caught stealing 10 packs of chewing gum.

[T_i_B]

7. Update: he's been arrested again!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/sep/14/lord-hanningfield-arrested-mps-expenses

Lord Hanningfield, the Tory peer jailed for fiddling his expenses, has been arrested on suspicion of making fraudulent expenses claims from Essex county council.

Essex police would not confirm Hanningfield had been brought in for questioning but sources confirmed to the Press Association that the peer had been arrested. His arrest came five days after he was released from his prison term.

A spokesman for the Essex force would only confirm that a 70-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of fraud as part of an investigation into expenses claimed at Essex county council. He has been bailed to return in January 2012.

Hanningfield, the former leader of Essex county council, was jailed for nine months in July for fiddling his parliamentary expenses. The former Lords opposition frontbencher claimed £13,379 for overnight stays in London when he was not there.

[non sociopath skin]

8. The Revolving Door Peer LOL

You couldn't make it up.

Well, you probably could, actually ...

The Skin

[Nihil]

9. That's how it all started ...

> You couldn't make it up.
>
> Well, you probably could, actually ...

... and he did, several times from the look of it!

:evilgrin: