6 years jail for garlic scam

The Road Runner · 04-02-2013 6:10pm

it got defered

The Court of Criminal Appeal has deferred a decision on a new sentence for businessman Paul Begley, who was jailed for six years for failing to pay import duty on garlic.
The appeal court set aside the sentence last month, saying it was excessive.
Begley remained in custody pending further submissions today, and returned to prison after this morning's brief hearing.
Te court said it needed further time to consider an alternative sentence.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0204/366138-paul-begley-court/

AudreyHepburn · 04-02-2013 9:06pm

I've said it before but I'll say it again....this man broke the law. He is a thief and fraudster. I struggle to see what is so wrong about punishing him?

Six years may be a little excessive, although saying that there are huge amounts of money involved.

Do people feel this man is a hero for sticking his finger to the law? Do you really think he should go unpunished?

goat2 · 04-02-2013 9:17pm

he imployed people, he did pay most of the vat on them anyway and paid his taxes,
he should never ever have been imprisoned, but asked to pay back this vat gradually over a couple yrs, he is important to alot of people he is an employer and they depend on him and his company for wages,
it is only garlic.

srsly78 · 04-02-2013 9:24pm

goat2 wrote: »

it is only garlic.

You can't just let people flout customs laws because "it's only garlic". Otherwise next time it will be "only japanese automobiles" or similar. Yes the sentence was harsh, which has since been successfully appealed - but remember the whole point of the exercise is deterrence.

This caused a lot of headlines, people now realise importing stuff is serious business!

Lapin · 04-02-2013 9:31pm

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Do people feel this man is a hero for sticking his finger to the law?

Do you really think he should go unpunished?

No to the first question.

To the second question, I think he has been punished enough at this stage.
Today was particularly cruel.

fly_agaric · 04-02-2013 9:35pm

If people get away with frauds like this they distort the playing field for other businesses.

They cost jobs in companies run by honest people (in Ireland, we like to brand these sorts "mugs" and "soft touches" and opposed to our idols the "cute hoors" and "sly dogs"

).

They cost the state in evaded tax that of course has to be gotten from the hide of others who can't slither away so easily (the usual suspects - "PAYE" Patsy, people dependant on social welfare etc).

It is bad that Ireland's justice system has been so toothless in other cases of white collar "crime" (if you can call it that when it has not been punished) and inconsistent in sentencing but he did deserve to go to jail IMO.

dvpower · 04-02-2013 9:57pm

Dude111 wrote: »

Yes lets hope so.... This whole thing is stupid!!

Garlic?????

goat2 wrote: »

it is only garlic.

I love the way people think that the commodity he was dodging the duty on is important.

I can only imagine the outrage if he was jailed for dodging duty on the importation of cuddly toys.

Milk & Honey · 04-02-2013 10:07pm

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

I've said it before but I'll say it again....this man broke the law. He is a thief and fraudster. I struggle to see what is so wrong about punishing him?

Six years may be a little excessive, although saying that there are huge amounts of money involved.

Do people feel this man is a hero for sticking his finger to the law? Do you really think he should go unpunished?

No one says he should go unpunished. The complaint is that the principles applicable in sentencing him were not applied.

goat2 · 04-02-2013 10:15pm

just apples instead of garlic, a few cent at most between the two,
i will say it again, that man did pay taxes in this country, and anyway he did pay most of the vat on the things.
i really think it would have cost the country less if he had been given time to repay what he had not paid, and keep his business afloat,
he was caught doing it,
and he would not do it again due to being caught already,
and anyway there would have been bigger scrutiny on him after that,

there are people who have done worse, and they were not inside for twelve months,

goat2 · 05-02-2013 1:59am

srsly78 wrote: »

You can't just let people flout customs laws because "it's only garlic". Otherwise next time it will be "only japanese automobiles" or similar. Yes the sentence was harsh, which has since been successfully appealed - but remember the whole point of the exercise is deterrence.

This caused a lot of headlines, people now realise importing stuff is serious business!

i agree he broke the law,
but what i realise that when calling them apples, he did pay a certain amount of the vat, it is the remainder that evaded,
he has paid his taxes here,

goat2 · 05-02-2013 5:35pm

did those who brought this horse meat through customs,
call it horsemeat or beef,

AudreyHepburn · 05-02-2013 8:20pm

goat2 wrote: »

he imployed people, he did pay most of the vat on them anyway and paid his taxes,
he should never ever have been imprisoned, but asked to pay back this vat gradually over a couple yrs, he is important to alot of people he is an employer and they depend on him and his company for wages,
it is only garlic.[/QUOTE]

So did Sean Quinn.

That has no baring on anything.

And if we bend the rules for him we will have to bend them for every thief and fraudster.

You break the law, you pay for it, end of.

FruitLover · 05-02-2013 8:34pm

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

I struggle to see what is so wrong about punishing him?
...
Do you really think he should go unpunished?

You have missed the point spectacularly.

Prisons are for dangerous people who need to be locked away from the general populace. Rapists, murderers, people who commit vicious assault, etc. The prisons in our country are so overfilled as it is that judges have to give rapists suspended sentences and let hardcore scumbags out after 6 months just to have room to put the new scumbags in.

Nobody's saying it's right to let hustlers and scammers to get away scot-free — there should be some sort of punishment (and, if possible, remuneration for the state). But trying to pin a 6-year prison sentence on a tax-dodger when genuine scum with multiple previous violent convictions walk free weekly is fallacious. Every prison bed taken up by an illegal garlic merchant is a bed that should be occupied by a now liberated rapist or other violent thug. Which one would you rather bump into on the streets of your town/city at night??

Boombastic · 05-02-2013 8:35pm

How many years did Mick Wallace get for his tax evasion?

Dicky Pride · 05-02-2013 8:41pm

This country is shit. Pure and Simple.

There are no forward thinkers, only backward bottlers.

As is said above, jails are for dangerous criminals. In the case of this garlic smuggling man, he should be sentenced to 6 years of useful community service. Let him continue to make a living, but, for 6 years he is also to live a double life as an altruistic man of charity. If he is not willing to do it, then he should be forced.

I'm sick of seeing people who are not afraid of the guards, get off scot free with an attitude of "Sure what can we do" (seemingly nothing until they actually murder someone). But they come down heavy on the easy targets, the people that are law fearing, non trouble making. Thieves, aggressors and rapists get off with suspended sentences but people who struggle to pay bills get threatened with jail.

We see politicians claiming all kinds of expenses and benefits but seemingly do very little to help in the running of the country. Make no mistake about it. This country is shit, and it will continue to be shit until a something changes.

Bruthal · 05-02-2013 8:53pm

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

You break the law, you pay for it, end of.

If he had got a 20 year sentence, would you still say that exact same thing, or is there a level thats too harsh?

How about when you break a speed limit law? Straight to the garda station and hand yourself in for punishment is it?

Or do the flawless law abiders of boards in reality not mind some laws in their daily life, but come on here to justify the sentences of others, while proclaiming that the law was broken, you pay for it...

goat2 · 05-02-2013 9:06pm

i wonder how they got horsemeat through our borders,
without being caught,

mikom · 05-02-2013 9:10pm

goat2 wrote: »

i wonder how they got horsemeat through our borders,
without being caught,

Horsemosis?

uck51js9zml2yt · 05-02-2013 9:12pm

Boombastic wrote: »

How many years did Mick Wallace get for his tax evasion?

4 unles he gets out for doing a good job

The Road Runner · 05-02-2013 10:11pm

I have a feeling he wont go and do this again and i think the guy was punished enough at this stage, and i only say this in comparison to other jail terms people get. if we saw that right across the board people were getting sentances of this length for similar i would think well then he should see out his time. i dont even feel he was being made as an example to hold up and then forever more similar crimes will get the same time in jail. on its own it can be argued that 6 years may be fitting. but when you compare it, even to violent crimes, it is way over the top.

JohnOShock · 06-02-2013 7:16pm

.....reversed horsemosis! They'll find rat DNA in Polish burgers

Worztron · 08-02-2013 10:37am

Why are many other tax evaders only named and shamed in newspapers and fined?

samsemtex · 08-02-2013 2:58pm

Austo77 wrote: »

Serves him right imo

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

So he knowingly broke the law and defrauded the state and people think its a harsh treatment , in my opinion its the same as someone defrauding welfare or revenue by outright lying to them.

The priggishness of people on this website is truly astounding. Looking at the people who thanked these posts too it seems that they are the exact same people who staunchly support the bank bailout and selling out of our country by the government. What a group of lads.

6 years jail for garlic scam

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