WHat a great idea to save money !
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/8425419.stm

Funny how if you are a POLICEMAN you get let out for Christmas....does this happen for everyone else >?

He was on a 3 year sentence for killing the girl ( Scumbag - according to the police who attended ) so it was a reasonably lengthy sentence.

Is this the answer to Ken Clarke's budget - give EVERY prisoner who is not on a life sentence a week out at Christmas this year ? Would save millions I would have thought - and if they did not all come back then it would provide extra work for the Police to round them up !!

Well, if these are the rules in place, then I suppose he is entitled to his temporary release.

It seems a little strange that it's occuring only eight months into a three year sentence, but there may be compelling compassionate reasons that are not published - who knows?

As for the original prosecution, there are many issues there. I've no doubt that no sentence could possibly punish the chap more than the memory of killing the girl, so in that respect imprisonment seems petty and worthless. And indeed there, but for the grace of God, go many of us - how many drivers have had a close shave and come close to a horrible accident?

The culpability seems to me to lie mainly in an institutional arrogance in the police (we see it particularly in firearms and riot-control units). The driver obviously thought it proper for him to drive in that manner, in his professional capacity. NB that this was bolstered by his faith in the number plate recognition computer results, which turned out to be wrong.

I suppose the moral of the tale is to bloody well do things properly - driver training, police procedures, database maintainance etc - or ultimately people can die.

I'm not sure I really object to this.

Afterall the banged up ex-cop's life is really ruined over what was an unfortunate, even if his actions were very bad, accident.

I think I am with SJB- if the rules fit then he is entitled whether good or bad.

What is evident-the media will exploit the poor mother's despair without giving a stuff of any consequences to her and there is obviously not enough available counselling for her. She needs it badly.

I have to say I have never heard of a Prisoner being let out for Christmas before ?

Certainly the Wormwood Scrubs programme suggested that they HAD to spend Christmas in prison.

That is why I question whether there is one rule for this person and another for Non Police.

I can understand a funeral. But not alot else. If you are locked up then you should be locked up.