18 Aug 2017

Corrupt Woman Prison Officer Jailed After Shipley MP Philip Davies Intervenes

By Vivie Mason: SHIPLEY MP Philip Davies has helped persuade top judges that a female prison officer who smuggled in drugs and other contraband for inmates should not allowed to walk free simply because she has children.
Safak Bozkurt, 28, at the time working at Isis Young Offender Institution in Thamesmead, London, was initially given a two year suspended prison sentence by Judge Martin Griffith at Southwark Crown Court in April.
Mr Davies contacted the Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC arguing the sentence was unduly lenient and Bozkurt’s case was then referred to the Court of Appeal where judges substituted the suspended sentence with a 32-month prison term. 
They said Judge Griffith had paid too much attention to Bozkurt's legal team's plea for leniency due to the plight of the children - aged four and seven – despite him telling the defendant that she should have had their welfare in mind when she committed the crimes.
And in making their ruling, the appeal court judges said parenthood could not be used as a “trump card” by defendants to avoid jail.
Mr Davies was name-checked during the initial court case. Judge Griffith said he had heard the MP on Radio 4 being attacked by the leader of the Women’s Equality Party for his “temerity for saying men and women should be treated equally before the law”.
Despite the judge citing equality, he decided not send Bozkurt to prison.
It was said Bozkurt carried out the crimes to pay off debts and fund a Master’s Degree in Criminology.
In response to Appeal Court's decision, Conservative MP Mr Davies said: “This woman was in a position of authority and knowingly broke the law to provide contraband to criminals.
“She willingly took drugs and phones into a prison and pocketed up to £1,000 each time she smuggled in the goods.
“This was a total abuse of her position and for her children to be used as a ‘get out of jail free card’ is completely unacceptable”. 
He added: “I am delighted the Court of Appeal judges have overturned the original sentence and the country’s top judges have agreed with me that this sentence was unduly lenient.
“The fact the original judge mentioned what I have been saying about equality in sentencing among men and women hopefully means that the message is beginning to hit home.
“It is just a shame he did not act when he could and that I had to contact the Attorney General and say the sentence was unduly lenient.
“I hope judges will listen to what their colleagues at the Court of Appeal have said and take note of the Attorney General’s representative’s point that parenthood cannot be a “trump card” for criminals.” 

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