Forums Forums National News Bernie Eccleston Fraud

Will Bernie Ecclestone be jailed?

£400m tax fraud is a considerably higher sum of money that others that have been jailed. However he is 92 so would it be in the public's interest to jail him?

He has no excuses, he is worth over £2bn pounds, he can afford not to defraud HMRC and can certainly afford accountants. Initially he pleaded not guilty in court but has now agreed to pay £652m, that doesn't make him innocent, or has he bought his way out?

17 months suspended for a £400m fraud, a joke!

That's what happens when someone can afford the best legal team. Complete joke ! Mind you, I wouldn't have held out much hope for his chances inside.

Absolutely pointless sending a 93 year old to prison, anyway according to recent reports there is nowhere to put him.
Why not build a prison or prisons with the money he has coughed up. Then we will have somewhere to put the naughty girls and boys who are walking around free when they shouldn't be.

Difficult about the age, with the average Joe Bloggs I would tend to agree that its pointless imprisoning him, however in this case it is a billionaire living a billionaire's lifestyle with all the trimmings when in fact he is a leach on society.

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A leach he may be but you can't treat him any different to Joe Bloggs

Personal circumstances are always taken into account with custodial sentencing especially when choosing between jail or a suspended sentence.

There is a big difference between Joe Bloggs aged 92 stuck in a home with virtually no freedom of movement and a multi-billionaire who travels wherever he wants in the world. Jailing someone with limited mobility is considerably less in the public interest.

How about Dominic Chapel (coincidentally also an ex racing driver) convicted of tax fraud and got 6 years for a sum fifty times less than Bernie. Dominic didn't have the readies to buy his way out of a prison sentence. Which is worse, the inability to pay or the ability to pay and committing fraud instead? I'd say they are on a par but the sums of money certainly weren't.

The Government's policy is to crack down on serious tax fraud and are looking at doubling jail sentences, how does that relate to a suspended sentence for a £400m fraud?

Putting 93 year olds in prison could be seen as handing out a death sentence. Even though they might not have many years left it could shorten their lives considerably. It also can put a strain on the prison service, the care they may need. Having to cough up £652m will hurt him much more. It always does with money people. Dominic Chapel was I think about 40 years younger, a different category in my opinion.