Madam, - Last Monday' s edition carried a very moving piece by John Waters about a corruption case reported prominently in your edition of February 13th. The case revolved around two people, one pictured in handcuffs, the other distraught, as both were led away to 18 months' detention, with nine months suspended, following their "attack on the entire core of the criminal justice system".
This case concerned a self-employed, separated father who admitted paying an unnamed intermediary €1,200 to make a drink-driving summons "go away" so he could maintain his livelihood and support his children.
The other person jailed was a court official, a young mother who denied taking any money, but who allegedly acted out of sympathy for the man in question in hiding the summons.
In addition to the severe sentence handed down by the court for this attack on the criminal justice system, these people (who had no previous convictions) were prominently pictured by The Irish Times being led from court. We agree with Mr Waters that it is almost always a male prisoner who is demonised and shown in handcuffs, and almost never a woman.
While there is no denying that what the two were convicted of was wrong and illegal - as well as being perhaps a little naïve - the sentence by the courts and then the subsequent public "tarring and feathering" in the paper of record was in our opinion unnecessary, tacky and verging on the tabloid.
As neighbours and friends of one of the convicted individuals, we feel very despondent at the outcome of this case and believe it raises a number of troubling questions about the inconsistencies in the application of justice in Ireland, not to mention the sensational reporting of such episodes by the media. - Yours, etc,
STEPHEN REA, MARTIN HARTE, SANDRA BYRNE, Donabate, Co Dublin.
Madam, - I read in your edition of February 14th of a man who was jailed for six years for throwing poles at gardaí during the "Love Ulster" riot. While I have no sympathy with the actions of the guilty party, I would question how the length of this sentence is of benefit to anyone. It says in the report that he is a chronic alcoholic who drank four bottles of vodka daily. Bearing in mind this man's difficulty with alcohol, where is the mercy in jailing him for six years?
In a country where tax-dodgers get off scot-free and rapists walk with suspended sentences, this harsh sentence is unjustified and disproportionate and should be reviewed. - Yours, etc,
PÁDRAIG Ó MAOLÁIN, The Millstream, Blackbog Road, Carlow.