Do the crime, do the time. In other words you’ve been caught, take your punishment and be on your way (usually straight to jail).
In most cases this all too flippant phrase was trotted out when discussing low-level criminal acts and as almost every Scots child will know it was seized upon by harassed parents with warnings that if we misbehaved punishment would be swift and severe.
Don’t do it if you don’t want to be caught and punished, or words to that effect.
In criminal terms it meant prison then rehabilitation and hopefully a normal life outside, free from offending even for those serving so-called life sentences because, let’s face it, as we’ve already discussed previously, life doesn’t mean life when it comes to Scottish sentences.
But when court copy dropped this week informing us two killers who were convicted of a gangland execution had been hit with Serious Crime Prevention Orders (SCPOs) or “super ASBOs” I couldn’t help but think “do the time” in some cases is roughly translated to “punishment is permanent”.
Darren Eadie, 30, and John Kennedy, 41, were among four men convicted last month of murdering Kenny Reilly in Maryhill, Glasgow, on April 16, 2018.
Ross Fisher, 30, and were also jailed for life after being convicted at the trial. Kennedy was ordered to serve a minimum of 26 years for the shooting, while Eadie junior was handed 24 years.
The prosecutors didn’t stop there, they then moved to get the SCPOs which will allow Eadie and Kennedy’s movements and life to be monitored and restricted when they come out of prison.
It’s the first time the Crown Office has made such a move in a life sentence case.
The details are sketchy. I don’t suppose the Crown want to reveal their ace cards before they play them but it’s understood the order allows them to restrict any money a criminal can access on release.
Bingo! Hit them where it hurts – right in the pocket. That’ll show em. We all know money makes the organised crime world go round but hang on a second – Eadie and Kennedy aren’t getting out of prison tomorrow. They’re in for the long haul.
A lot can change in six months, let alone 24 years or 26. Loyalties and associations, monetary values go up and down and given the current state of affairs none of us knows what the world will be like in 24 years.
I understand the Crown wants to ensure criminals can’t exploit any gaps in the law and use it to their advantage when they’re released. Quite right too but come on – there’s nipping it in the bud and getting ahead of yourself.
The “untouchables” have always been a pain in the proverbial for law enforcement – it’s grated on many a cop and prosecutor for decades that there was a section of the criminal fraternity they couldn’t break.
They know they can never rid the world of organised crime so punching holes in their operations and thwarting activities is the best they can do.
Disruption is the name of the game and it seems to have the desired effect for a while until the kingpins find other ways to lead a merry dance.
However, in this particular case, it seems the Crown Office has been talking up the “fight” and showboating in case anyone failed to heed the warnings.
The message being – we have the power now and we’re not afraid to use it. Even if we have to wait a quarter of a century.
Lead is best in country
Spring is almost upon us and soon we will see cute baby lambs leaping around the countryside.
But when you’re walking your dog, keep them on a lead. Sheep worrying, even by accident, can land you with a fine of up to £4k and a farmer with a distressed, injured or dead animal.
Keeping fingers crossed for cold case bids
Cold cases are a particularly interesting aspect of my job so it’s been encouraging to see two cases that have featured quite regularly in my career back at the top of the police agenda.
The disappearance and murder of Marion Hodge in Dumfriesshire in 1984 and the 2004 killing of Nairn banker Alasdair Wilson are both being reinvestigated.
Alasdair was shot dead on his doorstep by a mystery assailant.
Police Scotland has an excellent track record of solving historical cases so I’m quietly optimistic they will succeed. However I couldn’t help but feel slightly uneasy when they made a bold statement the other day regarding the Wilson murder.
They have reviewed the evidence on the description of the killer and discovered the age range was “too narrow” and extended it to between 20 to 40 instead of 30 to 40. This places the gunman as aged between mid-to-late 30s to 60 now.
Isn’t that half the Scottish male population then?
In fairness they inherited a mess of an original investigation and it will take methodical work to sift through it. Let’s keep our fingers crossed both investigations yield results for the families.
