Right Sentence For Ant?

[ladybirder]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5621179/Ant-McPartlin-LIVE-Presenter-court-drink-drive-case.html

[maggiebee]

Off with his head!

[hereIam]

It's about right. I think you only go to jail if you persistently re-offend by drink driving.

[The_Rim_Greaper]

The sentence is nothing to a person of his means...the ban is a minor inconvenience, he can easily afford taxis or hire a chaffeur, he is a multi millionaire..
Wonder how much sympathy this useless twerp would have got from the Saturday night plebs that seem to worship him if he had killed people whilst drunk behind the wheel...

[Mamyalynne]

None.

[Arksided]

I think its a fair verdict, call what you like but I like the fella.

[ladybirder]

I've very rarely seen him on TV as I don't as a rule watch the programmes he's in but calling him a useless twerp is a bit much I think.

[dunnitall]

Me too ark side.... But don't condone his behaviour! Not good but an illness nevertheless...what a shame.

[Lie-in King]

Seems about right to me.

[naomi24]

I have no idea if the sentence is right or wrong, but it is what it is. I like him, he's good at what he does and he makes me laugh. I wish him a speedy recovery to good health.

[kvalidir]

Sensible fine given his financial status and a reasonable ban, which won't impact on him particularly I wouldn't imagine. Let's hope this is indeed the turning point he's talking about and that he gets back on track, realising he could have killed someone and taking responsibility for himself.

[corylus]

Serves him right.

[EDDIE51]

The Drink Drive penalty is a ban and and a fine of one weeks wages.So the ban and the £86,009 fine is correct.

[EDDIE51]

^ £86,000 hit a 9 by mistake.

[sddsddean]

Not arguing Eddie, but they said on the news today its 2/3 of a weeks wages. This is 'standard' for anyone. I just wonder what happens to all these fines. OK, they go to 'the government', but are they put to any good use? Compensation for victims or something?

[Baldric]

It said on the News that the £86K was 2/3rds of his weekly pay.

[New Judge]

“I don't understand how they've gotten to that conclusion. Why has he not gone to jail?”

See below.

"It could be a 1K find with a year behind bars surly?"

No it couldn’t. Again, see below.

The maximum sentence for driving with excess alcohol is six months custody and/or an unlimited fine. Under the current guidelines custody is not a consideration until the reading reaches 120 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35, so about three and a half times the limit.

Mr McPartlin was said to have recorded around twice the limit. The guidance for this level suggests a “starting point” of a “Band C” fine (which is 1.5 week’s net income). It was reported that Mr McPartlin was fined two thirds of his reported weekly income. Allowing his one third discount for a guilty plea this would suggest the court considered a fine of one week’s income was appropriate. His ban of 20 months is about right for the level of alcohol recorded.

So, the fine is about right, if perhaps a little lower than it could have been. (As a matter of interest, if the offence had been committed prior to April 2015 - I think that’s the date from memory - the maximum fine would have been £5,000, or £3,333 for a guilty plea). The ban is also about right. It’s always wise to have a glance at the sentencing guidelines before suggesting what might or should have been handed down:

https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/the-magistrates-court-sentencing-guidelines/

[EDDIE51]

Yes, I should have been more specific , it is a fine 'not exceeding' one weeks wages .

[naomi24]

Eddie, read New Judge's post.

[Baldric]

Don't confuse him with facts Naomi ;o)

[naomi24]

I try not to, Baldric. but sometimes .....