Tomorrow morning, 26 January 2011, will see the trial of Her Majesty's Advocate v Thomas Sheridan reconvene for sentencing after the jury returned a majority verdict of guilty against Mr Sheridan on the 23rd December last year. Mr Sheridan will deliver a plea in mitigation before we hear the sentence and the judge's statement. Lord Bracadale has advised Mr Sheridan to expect to be sent to prison.
As we have a great deal of preparation to do before tomorrow we will be closing comments until after the conclusion of tomorrow's proceedings.
13 comments:
what is ur next project and please can u link to it here, this was AWESOME!!!!
Gotta love twitter :D
#sheridan judge away for a smoke and read twitter feed 6 minutes ago via web
Tommy Sheridan says "The 12-week trial took its toll on my health.... I even faded to light brown." #sheridan
The Gail Sheridan Sartortial Alert system has been upgraded from Chanel Jacket and Specs to Fur Coat with Hood. #sheridan
#sheridan entered courtroom, immediately pulled out 'Monopoly Get out of Jail Free' card and placed carkeys in Judge's ashtray.
J’accuse:
News International
Lothians and Borders Police
Metropolitan Police
Andy Coulson
Bob Bird
George McNeilage
Katrine Trolle
Fiona McGuire
Anvar Khan
Alan McCoombes and the United Left faction
Fair sentence
As others commented on this blog before the event, why oh why did Tommy make that plea of mitigation himself?
It does betray a total loss of judgment, which has probably cost him an extra 18 months.
Why did Tommy make the plea himself? Arrogance - sheer arrogance.
@ Hamish He had some of the best legal brains in Scotland at his disposal at the start of the trial, and disposed of them because he knew better, I guess nothing was enough to change his own very high opinion of his superior legal abilities.
Look at what happens when you're someone like Gail Sheridan and you have someone like McBride representing you, he wiped the floor with them.
@ Peter T'accuses ...K Trolle. REALLY? I really don't think she wanted to appear in court at all, she was prepared to lie by saying she did not have a relationship with him to protect herself from having to go through with it, until she was under oath, when she had to tell the truth. Independent witnesses corroborated her testimony. She knew things she wouldn't otherwise have known.
I think people here should respect the jury verdict; the judges sentence and the defence.
Sheridans plea of mitigation seemed well measured.
He quoted the relevant cases and appealed for leniency (for his family's sake not his own) in a dignified manner.
The only way he was going to get a lower sentence, in my opinion, is if he bent the knee and indicated he was actually guilty or admitted it outright.
He did not do so - that to me, along with his repeated rejection of the generous plea bargain, is telling.
I think it was instructive that the judge probably gave the minimum sentence possible in the circumstances.
Without an admission of guilt the judge could not get away with a lower sentence without an appeal of his sentence decision by the Crown.
My respect for the judge,jury and defence does not extend to others.
The Crown prosecution based as it was on a deeply flawed police investigation and the deep pockets of the NOTW was a disgrace to your country.
For reasons that have been highlighted previously others here should be careful before attaching themselves to this verdict.
Peter, Why leave gary Clark out of your j'accuse?
Seems odd to me or can't you fit him into to a convenient conspiracy theory????
You missed out Real Madrid as well Peter.
I left out more than that Wullie.
It is important to keep the focus on the important characters.
Wikileaks much?
Cheers,
Peter
@Peter "He did not do so - that to me, along with his repeated rejection of the generous plea bargain, is telling."
**
Banged to rights with that tape and several non politically affilliated witnesses e.g. Gary Clark , a wiser and less selfish man might have taken that "generous plea bargain". No charges against Gail Sheridan, only one count of perjury, no protracted humiliating trial and more than likely a considerably shorter jail term in an open prison. Out in weeks as opposed to maybe the year he might have to serve. Then still elligible to stand for public office again.
what did lord b do when tommy was talking? where did he look? kind of unusual for an offender to address the judge personally!
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