Sally Challen: Time served.

Above, the Great Hall at the Old Bailey.
The courts have put and end to Mrs Challen’s incarceration. Mrs Challen was convicted of the murder (in 2010) of her estranged husband in 2011 and spent 9 years and 4 months in custody. Following the CPS decision not to seek a re-trail but to accept (from Mrs Challen) a diminished responsibility to the charge of manslaughter, the judge sentenced her to time already served.
This means that she will not be subject to licence and will be able to get on with the rest of her life without restrictions from the state. There will however be restrictions from the worlds of commerce.
Mrs Challen – or those who own the property in which she will reside – will discover, or will already have discovered that those “cheap insurance deals” are for them a thing of the past. They will have in future to approach specialist insurers who will have firms who deal with those with unspent convictions – Mrs Challen’s conviction will never become spent – and these firms charge more: often twice or three times what the average person can get from the low priced insurers.
So what? You might ask.
Because often the increased premium does not justify the increased risk. People with unspent convictions are discriminated against by insurers and the financial institutions – even for offences which involve no dishonesty and no violence.
Of course, this could be dealt with by non-discrimination legislation; however this is an area out weak kneed politicians will not go. This is because they fear that the editors of British tabloids will say nasty things about such a decision.
Doubtless they would. And – sadly – many of the readers of tabloid newspapers would endorse such.
“If criminals don’t like paying high insurance premiums they should not have become criminals! Tough [XXXX]!” Would be a typical comment.
The FACT is however that unless you are going to execute or imprison for the whole of life; ex-prisoners need to be helped to “go straight” and discriminating against them will not help.
We need legislation in this area and the politicians will have to put up with the backlash.
GOTO: https://www.largsandmillportnews.com/news/17692213.sally-challen-walks-free-from-court-after-admitting-manslaughter-of-husband/