Tory poster boys let off
Sarah Newton, Conservative candidate in Truro & Falmouth, had a meeting with police yesterday to discuss "restorative justice" for two young men responsible for vandalising Tory posters. Sarah tells me all 30 Conservative posters in Falmouth had been damaged or destroyed at a cost of several hundred pounds.
The perpetrators, apparently caught in the act by local bobbies, will not face criminal charges. Instead they've seen the error of their ways, said sorry and promised not to do it again.
"These are young people and I didn't want them to have a criminal record," says Sarah. "They've made a full apology. They're really sorry and I accept that apology. Although it's a very serious offence, personally I do not want to blight a young person's career by pressing charges. I don't think I'm being soft on crime at all I think it's about the punishment fitting the crime."
The two men, in their early 20s, are not members of any political party.
I'm ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Devon’s Graham Smith, blogging on news, views and some fresh insights into West Country life, particularly the way government works locally and nationally.
Comment number 1.
At 1st May 2010, AccurateChronometer wrote:Let's hope Sarah Newton herself hasn't been inciting any of her non-resident supporters into committing illegal acts. Here's a handy guide to help Tory candidates see the error of their predecessors' ways and 'promise not to do it again' :
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Comment number 2.
At 4th May 2010, AccurateChronometer wrote:Call For Electoral Commission Monitoring And Audit Of General Election 2010 In Cornwall And The Isles Of Scilly:
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