Prisoner driven 120 miles to avoid walking 200 yards between courts - to protect

[Attero Dominatus]

A security van was sent on a 120-mile round trip to move a prisoner 200 yards between courts to avoid breaching his human rights.

The journey was sanctioned after Mark Bailey, 35, was taken to Northampton Crown Court for a committal hearing instead of the nearby magistrates' court.

Although it would have taken just a couple of minutes to escort him by foot to the correct court, it was decided making him appear in public wearing handcuffs would have gone against human rights legislation.

The van took nearly three hours to arrive - followed by a journey lasting a few seconds to move him to a short hearing for alleged theft.

Critics yesterday branded the case a 'shocking waste of resources'.

Brian Binley, Conservative MP for Northampton South, said: 'I've never heard such nonsense. Why we should have to suffer such ludicrous incompetence, and pay for it, is beyond me.

'In my view, Bailey should have been escorted across the road but if they were worried about him absconding they could have put him in a squad car - the police station is just around the corner.

'Quite frankly I don't care about Bailey's human rights in this situation and I'm sure he wouldn't have either.

'Why do people fail to approach such matters in a practical way, like they would do in their day-to-day lives?

'To get a matter like this mixed up with human rights is nonsense.'

Stupid. Very very stupid.

More: http://tpa.typepad.com/media/2008/06/daily-telegra-3.html