Crimewatch
MP Soames banned after quad bike incident - Shoreham Today
Mid Sussex MP Nicholas Soames has been banned from driving for two months after pleading guilty to driving a quad bike on a road with no insurance.
The case resulted from an incident on New Year's Day near Mr Soames' Slaugham home when he was filmed by anti-hunt monitor Simon Wild...
Appearing at Crawley Magistrates Court today, he was fined £200 and asked to make a £15 victim impact payment and to pay £35 costs.
£15 for victim impact? I've watched the video and can't spot the victim, all I can hear is a whining little shit commentator presumably the professional bunny hugger Simon Wild himself.
Comments
The victim surcharge is a stealth tax levied on all offenders who are fined. As Harriet Harman replied in the House of Commons on 14 May 2007 (Column 542W Hansard):
"In determining whether to apply the victims surcharge no account is taken of the extent to which an offence has a victim. The surcharge is paid by all offenders sentenced to a fine in the criminal courts, whether or not any other penalty is imposed."
Posted by: Gallimaufry | May 15, 2008 9:45 AM
A news report on the success of the victim surcharge introduced 1 April 2007:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7141642.stm
Posted by: Gallimaufry | May 15, 2008 9:49 AM
The only victim impact should be that of something fast and heavy (accidently) hitting the tree hugger in question.
Posted by: thud | May 15, 2008 11:06 AM
Victim impact? Surely Labour will want him to pay an 'environment impact' fine as well, seeing as we was driving on a road and must therefore be taxed to death?
Posted by: Letters From A Tory | May 15, 2008 11:33 AM