50 years in jail without conviction

Sri Lankan remanded for 50 years
By Roland Buerk
BBC News, Colombo

A man has been released from prison in Sri Lanka after being held on remand for 50 years without conviction.

DP James was 30 years old when he was arrested for stabbing and wounding his father and sent to jail. He is now 80.

He was moved to a psychiatric hospital shortly after entering prison in 1957, and returned to jail in the mid-1980s, where he seems to have been forgotten.

Mr James was released on bail with the court's apologies. His lawyer hopes the case against him will be dismissed.

Mr James is due back in court next month. A claim for compensation is now being considered.

Stroke of luck

It was an extraordinary case for the Magistrates Court at Kurunegala in Sri Lanka - an 80-year-old man appearing for a bail hearing 50 years after he was remanded in custody.

The lawyer who organised his defence in court, Darma Veejaya Seneveratna, says his client did not complain because he was from a village and ignorant of the law.

DP James might have ended his days in prison, but in December he was taken to hospital again for medical treatment.

Prison officers who went to collect him after his recovery checked his documents and realised the error.

SOURCE: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7186063.stm

Imagine if they paid him $5 a day for the time he served. That would be almost 92,000. You know it should be worth a lot more than that. In fact, how do you value stealing 50 years of someones life?

Me personally I think I'd say hell - just leave me in prison at age 80. What do you have to go back to when you are 50 years removed from everything you know? Compensate me with some hookers & Viagra three times a week and a penthouse suite/cell at the hooscow.

I'd scoff at a government can thinks it can turn back the hands of time 50 years with cash money. He'd be dead before they reached a settlement agreement. He'd be dust before he ever spent a dime.

Sad story.

Would be interesting to know what the maximum sentence would've been if he'd been convicted at that time. The absolute most I've seen anyone over here be sentenced (without being able to claim 1/3 off for good behaviour) was about 22 years. That was for a pretty heinous murder case.

This dude probably would've served only about 10 - 15 max if he committed murder over here. Our sentencing laws are pretty gutless. They're heavily in favour of the crims doing minimum time (because we've got this screwed up notion that they can all be saved through these pathetic (politically correct) rehab programs which these dudes don't give a flying .... about).

If his max sentence would've only been for a few years e.g. < 10 years, I would sue for compensation from the state.

He could look at pictures of naked sheep and smear yoghurt on his belly button then Miriam Makeba would hear the cries of the Wanton Toothpicks and she would hasten to his side to mop his brow and take him to the Island of Floating Berber Ninjas...

How sweet it is to be whipped by an Oligarc dressed in Lederhosen...:fly::mod:

he'll prolly b let out givin the cash. as he walks away he will more then likely be robbed in todays day and age.. after all its not like it "Once was"