I can't find a logical explanation for this

[Ethel]

http://tinyurl.com/6lp7n8

Billionaires get very lenient sentence when prosecuted for having large amounts of cocaine.

Can anyone justify it?

[jake-the-peg]

What are the criteria for the CPS pressing charges?

They must have a good chance of sucess ( check )
It must be in the public interest

Why would pressing charges not be in the public interest in this case?

Perhaps because he'd fold up his business interests in this country and make hundreds of people redundant.

Oh it was probably dressed up in nice language like "be unable to continue his business interests in this country from behind bars" but that's doubtlessly the long and the short of it.

You'll find they don't pay standard tax either - the Inland revenue does special deals with people this rich and they reach a negotiated settlement about what they will pay in tax on an individual basis - a bit like the Queen.

You didn't think absolutely everyone was equal under the law did you?

[VINNY100_2]

It states most people are let off with a caution anyway,and the chances that they were flogging it for profit was nil.To a multi-millionare �2000 quids worth is like the average person having �20 quids worth.(:O)

[jake-the-peg]

Actually there's some classic Mail reporting going on here:

We are twice told that this is a "huge haul" to build up the image of sacks of the stuff in your head.

then about half way down we get the numbers:

Court documents revealed that Mr Rausing was charged with possessing 0.2oz of crack cocaine, 0.1oz of heroin and almost 1.8oz of cocaine

The amount of cocaine found is enough to normally justify an "intent to supply" charge but it's not exactly a scene from "Scarface"

[RevFunk]

2 grands worth of drugs is hardly big time is it

Not like he's the head of a Columbian Cartel I would imagine by the amounts quoted that it was for personal use.

2 ounces of coke would probably keep a couple with a bad habit going for a week or so and the heroin was probably for the comedown

[Hymie]

You�re just making mischief, Ethel � you well know that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law; just that some are more equal than others.