Aero Leather Clothing trial update

[Stand By]

After feeling the need to walk away from this thread for my own good, I later decided to quietly follow this thread with a peg on my nose and am glad it's over. I hope the bonhomie I usually associate with this place may now return.

As for the sentence of 21 months, I think it's absolutely to be expected.
After all,this is British justice and a man who, IMO, would be better with a suspended sentence and at no risk to reoffend and with no prior convictions, is punished with hard time.
Meanwhile, just yesterday, I read this story in the press:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...g-memory-loss-speech-problems-NOT-jailed.html
A bunch of scumbag kids got drunk and beat an innocent man up who just happened across their path and they beat the $hit out of him for fun and tasered him repeatedly (!!! Where'd that come from? "Possession of a dangerous weapon" charge anybody? Oh no. Don't be silly) - leaving him with BRAIN DAMAGE. It's only by sheer luck that they didn't kill him! (others have died of being repeatedly tasered). Result: No jail. "I'm giving you a second chance" the judge said before he let them all go. 1000 pound fines each for the scumbags (to put that into perspective, 1000 pounds is the fine for not paying a TV license). The victim now has memory problems as well as speech problems - he may not even remember where the money in his wallet came from.
"The law is an ***" is a common saying for good reason.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Yeah..I think it is now, most likely, legally done and over with on all fronts. I doubt that anything else will be pursued concerning other possible connections of deceit and greed. Just have that feeling...:suspicious:

 

[gtdean48]

Post prison term, is there impact to his "rights" being a convicted felon like in the States?

 

[tonypaj]

After feeling the need to walk away from this thread for my own good, I later decided to quietly follow this thread with a peg on my nose and am glad it's over. I hope the bonhomie I usually associate with this place may now return.

As for the sentence of 21 months, I think it's absolutely to be expected.
After all,this is British justice and a man who, IMO, would be better with a suspended sentence and at no risk to reoffend and with no prior convictions, is punished with hard time.
Meanwhile, just yesterday, I read this story in the press:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...g-memory-loss-speech-problems-NOT-jailed.html
A bunch of scumbag kids got drunk and beat an innocent man up who just happened across their path and they beat the $hit out of him for fun and tasered him repeatedly (!!! Where'd that come from? "Possession of a dangerous weapon" charge anybody? Oh no. Don't be silly) - leaving him with BRAIN DAMAGE. Result: No jail. "I'm giving you a second chance" the judge said before he let them all go. 1000 pound fines each for the scumbags (to put that into perspective, 1000 pounds is the fine for not paying a TV license). The victim now has memory problems as well as speech problems - he may not even remember where the money in his wallet came from.
"The law is an ***" is a common saying for good reason.

You'd have to be in the UK, I guess, or connected on an every day basis. Daily Fail is not journalism that can be taken seriously. The rags cause a problem to all serious journalists in that country. See the Sun, the Mirror, and the likes, all the scandals that they've caused, yes caused, not just reported. Journalism is a seriously weird scene these days. It takes a bit of an effort to see who is even a half way reliable source of information.

 

[Stand By]

The assault was still real and the sentence was still the sentence though.

 

[nick123]

Big J, no matter how keenly you seem to care about this, surely you can't be happy that a family is being left without a breadwinner, and a child without a father for almost 2 years? It's a very sad situation for all involved.

Do the crime, do the time, and all that, but there's no pleasure to be taken from it.

+1

While I'm happy for Aero that they received their justice, and realize they are the ones who have been wronged in this, not WL, as someone who has been affected first hand by family members' criminal activities, sentencing is not a cake walk by any measure for the family members involved of the guilty party.

Yeah, your dad or brother is a criminal and a scumbag. There's no hope of redemption, for he's not human. Only a criminal scumbag. Throw away the keys and feed him to the rats. I'd hope life would be a little less shallow and narrow sighted than that.

 

[pawineguy]

After feeling the need to walk away from this thread for my own good, I later decided to quietly follow this thread with a peg on my nose and am glad it's over. I hope the bonhomie I usually associate with this place may now return.

As for the sentence of 21 months, I think it's absolutely to be expected.
After all,this is British justice and a man who, IMO, would be better with a suspended sentence and at no risk to reoffend and with no prior convictions, is punished with hard time.
Meanwhile, just yesterday, I read this story in the press:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...g-memory-loss-speech-problems-NOT-jailed.html
A bunch of scumbag kids got drunk and beat an innocent man up who just happened across their path and they beat the $hit out of him for fun and tasered him repeatedly (!!! Where'd that come from? "Possession of a dangerous weapon" charge anybody? Oh no. Don't be silly) - leaving him with BRAIN DAMAGE. It's only by sheer luck that they didn't kill him! (others have died of being repeatedly tasered). Result: No jail. "I'm giving you a second chance" the judge said before he let them all go. 1000 pound fines each for the scumbags (to put that into perspective, 1000 pounds is the fine for not paying a TV license). The victim now has memory problems as well as speech problems - he may not even remember where the money in his wallet came from.
"The law is an ***" is a common saying for good reason.

Without even reading the article and knowing nothing about this particular case, allow me to offer an opposing perspective about the WL sentence.

This was not a single incident of a crime, even though we are looking at it as 200K stolen like it was a single event... it was year after year of theft, note only of actual goods, but intellectual property, and also by a failure to properly invoice customers. Who knows how many actual times he stole from Aero? 40? 100? 200?

Just because it is all from one company doesn't change things in my mind. What if he was a pick pocket stealing from 100 different people? Would that change your perspective?

 

[Big J]

+1

While I'm happy for Aero that they received their justice, and realize they are the ones who have been wronged in this, not WL, as someone who has been affected first hand by family members' criminal activities, sentencing is not a cake walk by any measure for the family members involved of the guilty party.

Yeah, your dad or brother is a criminal and a scumbag. There's no hope of redemption, for he's not human. Only a criminal scumbag. Throw away the keys and feed him to the rats.

Well, shouldn't he have thought about the effect his getting caught would have on his family before he committed the crime?
Shouldn't his wife have thought twice about marrying a boss that fired her?

Stupid is as stupid does.

 

[nick123]

Well, shouldn't he have thought about the effect his getting caught would have on his family before he committed the crime?
Shouldn't his wife have thought twice about marrying a boss that fired her?

Stupid is as stupid does.

Yes, he should have and didn't. It's called being a flawed human.

 

[Big J]

Yes, he should have and didn't. It's called being a flawed human.

Still, no sympathy. I'm human, ergo, I'm also flawed. But I don't steal hundreds of thousands from my employers and customers over a period of years.
Flawed humans make mistakes. This is natural.
Criminals commit crimes. This is a choice.

 

[Big J]

After feeling the need to walk away from this thread for my own good, I later decided to quietly follow this thread with a peg on my nose and am glad it's over. I hope the bonhomie I usually associate with this place may now return.

As for the sentence of 21 months, I think it's absolutely to be expected.
After all,this is British justice and a man who, IMO, would be better with a suspended sentence and at no risk to reoffend and with no prior convictions, is punished with hard time.
Meanwhile, just yesterday, I read this story in the press:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...g-memory-loss-speech-problems-NOT-jailed.html
A bunch of scumbag kids got drunk and beat an innocent man up who just happened across their path and they beat the $hit out of him for fun and tasered him repeatedly (!!! Where'd that come from? "Possession of a dangerous weapon" charge anybody? Oh no. Don't be silly) - leaving him with BRAIN DAMAGE. It's only by sheer luck that they didn't kill him! (others have died of being repeatedly tasered). Result: No jail. "I'm giving you a second chance" the judge said before he let them all go. 1000 pound fines each for the scumbags (to put that into perspective, 1000 pounds is the fine for not paying a TV license). The victim now has memory problems as well as speech problems - he may not even remember where the money in his wallet came from.
"The law is an ***" is a common saying for good reason.

When I was a student in England I was always surprised by how quickly Brits resort to violence. I guess Kubrick got it right. The kind of random violence sparked off by something really small, like looking at someone's drink. In the US, I'd have shot 'em.

 

[Stand By]

When I was a student in England I was always surprised by how quickly Brits resort to violence. I guess Kubrick got it right. The kind of random violence sparked off by something really small, like looking at someone's drink. In the US, I'd have shot 'em.

Oh, the pervasive thug-mentality is as frightening as it is dismaying.
Being in the pub and getting:
"Oi! You looking at my girlfriend?"
"What? Er, who are you? Er, no. Of course not."
"Why not?! You saying she's ugly? Is that what you're telling me?"
Oh Jesus …

 

[eggleman]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-32933126

has been updated with police statement

 

[Big J]

Oh, the pervasive thug-mentality is as frightening as it is dismaying.
Being in the pub and getting:
"Oi! You looking at my girlfriend?"
"What? Er, who are you? Er, no. Of course not."
"Why not?! You saying she's ugly? Is that what you're telling me?""
Oh Jesus …

Ha ha! That's funny!
Seriously, it doesn't take much to start a bar fight in the UK. Even the ladies will smash a glass in your face.
It was a real eye-opener for me.
This is one thing I love about Japan- 15 years, and I've never seen physical violence in a bar, or on the street (and I used to go to some really seedy places).

 

[HoosierDaddy]

All of us are flawed humans...but many/most of us do not take our greed to this extent (for whatever reason)...disregarding all other's serious concerns and welfare. That's the shame here not WL's self made fate. He caused the crimes and suffering of many others and, especially with that in mind, should pay for his crimes rather than just receive a slap on the wrist.

 

[tropicalbob]

I've always thought that the purpose of this forum is to discuss, evaluate, and explore those persons and small companies that make extraordinary things. What we've seen in this ongoing case is a situation in which a firm started by a talented, passionate, and determined individual was nearly destroyed by an entirely self-centered, untalented time-server and those who tried to take advantage of the circumstances. The good guys won, sort of.

 

[Superfluous]

I could not disagree more with the pity, excuses and sympathy set forth in certain of the recent posts.

First, as to the notion that employee embezzlement and corporate espionage are facts of life that should surprise no one, so is murder. Literally hundreds of people are murdered every single day. Does that mean we should excuse it or turn a blind eye? Of course not! The fact that criminal conduct is commonplace does not make it any less egregious, nor acceptable. That fact that the poster elected to **** it up does not mean that others should do the same. To the contrary, if everyone followed the poster’s lead and freely permitted criminal conduct without consequences, the result would be utter anarchy. The threat of prosecution and punishment is a necessary deterrent. In order to keep criminal conduct in check, society needs people like KC, who are willing to stand up to it and pursue justice. Conversely, those who allow themselves to be victimized, and allow the offenders to succeed and escape without consequences, contribute to the problem, and will likely continue to be victimized unless and until they follow KC’s lead and take a stand.

Second, while Lauder’s jail time will have an unfortunate impact on his child, that is frequently the case when fathers and mothers are convicted of crimes. However, it was not the judge, nor the jury, who caused Lauder's child to spend 21 months without a father at his side. Rather, it was Lauder and Lauder alone. Lauder made a conscious decision to put his child at risk. When he pursued his enduring criminal enterprise, Lauder knowingly and necessarily exposed his family to the risk of having to proceed in his absence if/when he was caught and jailed for his crimes. Therefore, the consequences to be endured by Lauder’s child further illustrate just how egregious Lauder’s conduct was. Lauder is a bad guy. He not only victimized Aero; he also victimized his own child. He placed his own selfish desires over the interest of his dependent child. He prioritized his own criminal conduct over the well being of his child. Lauder should be ashamed of himself, not only for stealing from Aero, but also for victimizing his own child in the process.

Third, I do not believe that Lauder’s wife was wholly unaware of Lauder’s criminal conduct. The overwhelming evidence present in Lauder’s home, coupled with the other indicia of wrongdoing, strongly suggests to me that Lauder’s wife knew what was going on -- perhaps not all of it, but at least some of it.

Fourth, Lauder’s wife has enjoyed an elevated and undeserved standard of living derived from Lauder’s criminal conduct. She has enjoyed the fruits of Lauder’s crimes in the form of substantially greater household income and associated expenditures. She didn’t deserve the extra money any more than Lauder deserved it. She didn't deserve the items purchased with the stolen money any more than Lauder deserved the purchases. She should consider herself fortunate if she is not required to return any of her ill-gotten gains.

Based on the foregoing, I am pleased that justice is being served. Such justice is a necessary hallmark of a civilized, law abiding society, without which chaos would reign supreme. IMHO, Lauder's despicable conduct does not deserve our sympathy. To the contrary, Lauder's willingness to disregard and harm his own child punctuates the reprehensible nature of his conduct. Lauder should spend the next 21 months figuring out how to make amends to the victims of his criminality.

 

[Girl on a Motorcycle]

I could not disagree more with the pity, excuses and sympathy set forth in certain of the recent posts.

First, as to the notion that employee embezzlement and corporate espionage are facts of life that should surprise no one, so is murder. Literally hundreds of people are murdered every single day. Does that mean we should excuse it or turn a blind eye? Of course not! The fact that criminal conduct is commonplace does not make it any less egregious, nor acceptable. That fact that the poster elected to **** it up does not mean that others should do the same. To the contrary, if everyone followed the poster’s lead and freely permitted criminal conduct without consequences, the result would be utter anarchy. The threat of prosecution and punishment is a necessary deterrent. In order to keep criminal conduct in check, society needs people like KC, who are willing to stand up to it and pursue justice. Conversely, those who allow themselves to be victimized, and allow the offenders to succeed and escape without consequences, contribute to the problem, and will likely continue to be victimized unless and until they follow KC’s lead and take a stand.

Second, while Lauder’s jail time will have an unfortunate impact on his child, that is frequently the case when fathers and mothers are convicted of crimes. However, it was not the judge, nor the jury, who caused Lauder's child to spend 21 months without a father at his side. Rather, it was Lauder and Lauder alone. Lauder made a conscious decision to put his child at risk. When he pursued his enduring criminal enterprise, Lauder knowingly and necessarily exposed his family to the risk of having to proceed in his absence if/when he was caught and jailed for his crimes. Therefore, the consequences to be endured by Lauder’s child further illustrate just how egregious Lauder’s conduct was. Lauder is a bad guy. He not only victimized Aero; he also victimized his own child. He placed his own selfish desires over the interest of his dependent child. He prioritized his own criminal conduct over the well being of his child. Lauder should be ashamed of himself, not only for stealing from Aero, but also for victimizing his own child in the process.

Third, I do not believe that Lauder’s wife was wholly unaware of Lauder’s criminal conduct. The overwhelming evidence present in Lauder’s home, coupled with the other indicia of wrongdoing, strongly suggests to me that Lauder’s wife knew what was going on -- perhaps not all of it, but at least some of it.

Fourth, Lauder’s wife has enjoyed an elevated and undeserved standard of living derived from Lauder’s criminal conduct. She has enjoyed the fruits of Lauder’s crimes in the form of substantially greater household income and associated expenditures. She didn’t deserve the extra money any more than Lauder deserved it. She didn't deserve the items purchased with the stolen money any more than Lauder deserved the purchases. She should consider herself fortunate if she is not required to return any of her ill-gotten gains.

Based on the foregoing, I am pleased that justice is being served. Such justice is a necessary hallmark of a civilized, law abiding society, without which chaos would reign supreme. IMHO, Lauder's despicable conduct does not deserve our sympathy. To the contrary, Lauder's willingness to disregard and harm his own child punctuates the reprehensible nature of his conduct. Lauder should spend the next 21 months figuring out how to make amends to the victims of his criminality.

Thank you Superfluous. That was eloquent, pertinent and insightful.

 

[Sloan1874]

It's worth noting that the sheriff said in his comments: "The gravity of the offence makes custody both inevitable and unavoidable".

 

[tropicalbob]

What interests me is that Lauder, to this day, believes he did nothing wrong, even though he had an entire floor of his house stuffed with stolen merchandise. He thinks like a child ("They were mine. I earned them."). Well, he has 21 months to sit in a cell and think about that, and when he gets out what do you think he'll have left? Already those who tried to gain by his actions are disowning him, and so will everyone else.