Jared O'Mara jailed

[JamesWales]

Former Sheffield Hallam MP jailed for fraud
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-64577552

A lesson in how drug addiction can ruin your life as much as anything else.

The initial phone call to the police is here and quite interesting
https://order-order.com/2023/02/09/l...xpenses-fraud/

[jon1959]

I was surprised at the length of the sentence. So was my partner who despises Jared O'Mara but thinks he was harshly treated.

He was my MP, and the most extreme example of the rushed selection processes in most parties when Theresa May called her snap election. I had never heard of him until he was selected, and he wasn't very visible during the campaign. Momentum did a magnificent job mobilising canvassers in Hallam to challenge Nick Clegg - and against all expectations Labour won. (Facebook won too!)

O'Mara should never have been selected. He slipped through a patchy vetting process and it was a disaster.

Amazingly Labour held Sheffield Hallam in 2019 - and the current MP, Olivia Blake, is one of the better ones in the PLP (although still a disappointment). I will vote for her again.

[JamesWales]

I was surprised at the length of the sentence. So was my partner who despises Jared O'Mara but thinks he was harshly treated.

He was my MP, and the most extreme example of the rushed selection processes in most parties when Theresa May called her snap election. I had never heard of him until he was selected, and he wasn't very visible during the campaign. Momentum did a magnificent job mobilising canvassers in Hallam to challenge Nick Clegg - and against all expectations Labour won. (Facebook won too!)

O'Mara should never have been selected. He slipped through a patchy vetting process and it was a disaster.

Amazingly Labour held Sheffield Hallam in 2019 - and the current MP, Olivia Blake, is one of the better ones in the PLP (although still a disappointment). I will vote for her again.

I agree Jon. It seems somewhat harsh esp when you factor in the drug addiction

[Alan Lung]

That poor lad will get bummed senseless in the jail. Never mind, should teach hkm a few life lessons.

[Organ Morgan.]

I agree Jon. It seems somewhat harsh esp when you factor in the drug addiction

Are you suggesting drug addiction is a mitigating factor? I'd say it's an aggravating one.

[JamesWales]

Are you suggesting drug addiction is a mitigating factor? I'd say it's an aggravating one.

I think I just view drug addiction as something that needs helping with as opposed to punishment. That obviously is not to say that you get away with committing offences, but it does make it all seem a little harsher to me.

Serious offence and everything but his career as a politician is clearly over and he will probably never hold a high profile job again. I dunno, four years does just seem harsh but there we go.

[Eric Cartman]

I think I just view drug addiction as something that needs helping with as opposed to punishment. That obviously is not to say that you get away with committing offences, but it does make it all seem a little harsher to me.

Serious offence and everything but his career as a politician is clearly over and he will probably never hold a high profile job again. I dunno, four years does just seem harsh but there we go.

It's like when a ref gives a pen for grappling in the box at a set piece. I don't have a massive problem with him going to prison for 4 years for stealing public money but I am pretty sure if it was lined up against lost of other cases it would like harsh.

[chrisp_1927]

4 years for fraud may seem harsh, but surely committing fraud in public office has to be a huge aggravating factor.

It could be argued that he has in effect paid a bit of a 'stupid tax ' I suppose. A relatively small amount of money was stolen in an obviously fraudulent way. There will be many associated with the PPE scandal who have stolen a lot more but will never be able to be conclusively tied to it.

[79blue]

I wonder how much jail time the Tory politicians and their friends will get for defrauding the public purse during the pandemic with their PPE and track and trace frauds.

Track and trace cost £37 billion and PPE cost £12 billion, a total of £49 billion.

4 Billion of PPE equipment was unusable and not used and a fair estimate of fraudulent track and trace would be 20% (£7.4 billion), giving an estimate of £11 billion in fraud.

If O’mara got 4 years for defrauding £52,000, which gives a sentence of 1 day for every £35.60 defrauded.

Therefore there must be 309 million days of jail time for those involved in the contract frauds during the pandemic. I expectantly await for this to happen!!!!

[life on mars]

Where was due dillengence checks if its right fir the other lot its right for party . He didn't just become a drug user and fraud after being elected .

In the Corbyn era they would elect any fool .

Ideal seat for him./her /they /she maybe / he maybe . Izzard.

Its almost comical .