NZ a soft touch

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Beavis

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#283897 18-Mar-2021 17:04

Now I don't consider myself a complete Redneck, but how can you steal 1 million dollars and get a sentence of 3 years?

That is a "wage" of $333,000 a year.

And lets face it, she gets out in 1.5 years anyway.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/300255894/woman-jailed-for-stealing-1m-from-health-board-named

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#2676615 18-Mar-2021 17:15

Her gambling addiction had played a significant role in the offending and provided some temporary escape from her mental health problems.

Gambling addiction is a disease, and just like other addictions, people do dumb things, then it's too late to go back. Especially with gambling - because very soon you're going to win, big time, and everything will be good. So they think. I doubt deterrence of harsher sentence based on carefully calculated probability of being caught would have acted as a deterrent, and if she serves 3 years, then add another $300,000 to the cost of not catching her earlier.

She's also destroyed her future life.

Geektastic

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#2676626 18-Mar-2021 17:48

Even better: we have to work to feed and house her during the sentence.

Lias

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#2676628 18-Mar-2021 17:52

The one that got me today was Nicola Willis being hung drawn and quartered for saying she's afraid to walk through the Wellington CBD. How have we come to a place where a woman can say she's concerned about her safety in the CBD, and she get's attacked and vilified for it by another woman, and the government of the day cheers and applauds that attack. I've been in town a couple of nights over the last few weeks, and she's not wrong, there has definitely been a rise in the number of undesirables.

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Beavis

159 posts

Master Geek

#2676629 18-Mar-2021 17:52

Sorry if I sound sceptical, but metal health issues sound like a really good defence lawyer.

My bother in law had a person who took him for $220K and nearly broke him. They were playing the pokies as a way of explaining sudden wealth.

Mental health defence.

Why can't people just own up to doing bad things?

Lias

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#2676631 18-Mar-2021 17:53

Beavis:

Why can't people just own up to doing bad things?

Because we've raised a couple of generations of people who have zero idea what personal responsibility is. Everything is always someone else's fault lol.

Fred99

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#2676636 18-Mar-2021 18:10

Lias:

Beavis:

Why can't people just own up to doing bad things?

Because we've raised a couple of generations of people who have zero idea what personal responsibility is. Everything is always someone else's fault lol.

And yet the country is measurably safer than it was a couple of generations ago.

Beavis

159 posts

Master Geek

#2676638 18-Mar-2021 18:13

What rock have you been sleeping under?

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Fred99

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#2676639 18-Mar-2021 18:16

Beavis:

Sorry if I sound sceptical, but metal health issues sound like a really good defence lawyer.

Nope. You don't sound sceptical, you sound like a conservative right-wing "law and order" campaigner on a soapbox.

The judge accepted that she had mental health issues, but of course you're more knowledgeable than he is.

Hope this thread gets sent to the politics forum. It belongs there.

Beavis

159 posts

Master Geek

#2676655 18-Mar-2021 18:24

True. I was not in the court. And it was a victimless crime, the government has plenty of money.

MikeB4

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#2676683 18-Mar-2021 18:43

As Fred99 said this is an addiction. Treatment will have a better outcome for society and patient. Throwing her in prison will not deal with the issue and cause.

Fred99

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#2676687 18-Mar-2021 18:47

Beavis:

True. I was not in the court.

So if you weren't in court, you're relying on a news article you've interpreted to argue a case that either the judge was an idiot or our laws are dumb - "soft" on crime?

jonathan18

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#2676690 18-Mar-2021 19:10

Beavis:
Now I don't consider myself a complete Redneck

Interesting to see there's some self analysis going on, placing yourself somewhere on that end of the spectrum!

I also see the usual suspects that sit alongside you have already piled in, so this thread is heading down exactly the same path all of this 'genre' seem to follow. Agree it's better located in the politics forum or even just closed as we've heard it all before...

Lias

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#2676698 18-Mar-2021 20:12

jonathan18:
Beavis:

Now I don't consider myself a complete Redneck

Interesting to see there's some self analysis going on, placing yourself somewhere on that end of the spectrum!

I also see the usual suspects that sit alongside you have already piled in, so this thread is heading down exactly the same path all of this 'genre' seem to follow. Agree it's better located in the politics forum or even just closed as we've heard it all before...

I'm probably one of the usual suspects, but FWIW I don't see any benefit to sending her to prison. It costs the taxpayer even more money, and means she's not working and making reparation payments. Whilst fraud is deplorable, especially of taxpayer dollars, it's not quite in the same league as say aggravated robbery or rape in the 'imprison people to protect society' stakes.

mudguard

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#2676700 18-Mar-2021 20:20

Lias:

Whilst fraud is deplorable, especially of taxpayer dollars, it's not quite in the same league as say aggravated robbery in the 'imprison people to protect society' stakes.

I've wondered about this a little, back when the Bluechip thing went under. I knew someone who lost their home over it, just after they retired. Now in the grand scheme of things would surviving an aggravated robbery intact be better or worse than losing everything when you've retired and have no chance to get it back? I realise this is probably a very slippery slope but fraud can be devastating.

Lias

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#2676708 18-Mar-2021 20:35

mudguard:

I've wondered about this a little, back when the Bluechip thing went under. I knew someone who lost their home over it, just after they retired. Now in the grand scheme of things would surviving an aggravated robbery intact be better or worse than losing everything when you've retired and have no chance to get it back? I realise this is probably a very slippery slope but fraud can be devastating.

I get you, but by the same token a saying about all your eggs in one basket comes to mind too. People who lose all their money in a bad investment have chosen to put all their money in that investment for whatever reason.

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