Originally Posted by worldwidewolly
Can anybody throw any light on this perjury thing.
If smoebody is up on a charge of any particular crime and pleads innocent, i.e. I didn't do it, I wasn't there.............. and is subsequently found guilty, you see a sentence given for the crime but no charge of perjury.
What I am trying to say is, can somebody define the difference between perjury and the giving of a side to a story that is not accepted as true.
In this case (and I don't have the summaty to hand,) the judge said he didn't believe RYR etc., he didn't actually say they lied. That is a conclusion to be drawn but not what he said.
What I am asking is. Will the charge of perjury stick here?
In a criminal case, if you plead guilty your sentence will usually reflect the fact that you have accepted responsibility for your crime and not wasted Court time.
If not, you can expect little leniency in sentencing.
In this case I expect that a judge would take the perjury of witnesses into account when considering the awarding of costs - a stiff financial penalty might be considered appropriate for the waste of Court time.
Individual liability to prosecution would depend on the DPP.
A further mischievous appeal of the Courts ruling might well colour the DPP's considerations.