Well, it's finally happened. Mr Penny has finally been sentenced, and will pay up to £50k in mitigation (!) of the damage done to the Priddy Circles on his land.
The English Heritage statement has been reproduced on the Journal today:
http://heritageaction.wordpress.com/201 ... delivered/
So what's the feeling here? Did he get off light? Is the sentence fair? Let us know what you think.
Priddy Sentence delivered
Re: Priddy Sentence delivered
I'm still gathering my thoughts, and struggling to put them into words but I can't help feeling he got off light.
A £2.5K fine, costs of £7.5K and remedial costs of up to £38 is a tad shy of £50k at most, excluding his own defense costs.
Ok, to you and me, that's a lot of money, but to someone like Mr Penny who isn't short of a bob or two and could probably pay £50 out of small change - should some form of means testing have been considered to make it hurt?
Consider that the case was originally referred to the Crown Court as the local Magistrate didn't feel he had enough power to pass a sufficient sentence (max of £5k was mentioned previously), and is a fine of £2.5k really justice? His lawyers must be laughing!
What would someone be fined if they caused similar damage at a site such as, oh I don't know - Stonehenge??
I'm angry. Does it show?
A £2.5K fine, costs of £7.5K and remedial costs of up to £38 is a tad shy of £50k at most, excluding his own defense costs.
Ok, to you and me, that's a lot of money, but to someone like Mr Penny who isn't short of a bob or two and could probably pay £50 out of small change - should some form of means testing have been considered to make it hurt?
Consider that the case was originally referred to the Crown Court as the local Magistrate didn't feel he had enough power to pass a sufficient sentence (max of £5k was mentioned previously), and is a fine of £2.5k really justice? His lawyers must be laughing!
What would someone be fined if they caused similar damage at a site such as, oh I don't know - Stonehenge??
I'm angry. Does it show?
Re: Priddy Sentence delivered
I totally agree Alan. Offering a gift of £38K (and it was THEIR idea, not the judge's or EH's) has enabled them to get away pretty cheaply. In fact, if you compare it with a.) other fines or b.) the cost of a bulldozer it's miniscule. I see we've both written drafts saying all that so we can put them together.