Bar brawl MP Eric Joyce fined for cutting off curfew tag to avoid bad publicity while rowing in parliamentary boat race

August 1st, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

Joyce, who was forced to wear the
tag after assaulting fellow politicians, used a pair of scissors to cut it off
The former Labour MP was rowing for the House of Commons against
the House of Lords in a charity race

By
Anthony Bond

PUBLISHED:

11:59 EST, 31 July 2012

|

UPDATED:

13:21 EST, 31 July 2012

In court: Shamed MP Eric Joyce was fined £600 today for cutting off his curfew tag to compete in a parliamentary boat race

Shamed MP Eric Joyce was fined today for cutting off his curfew tag to compete in a parliamentary boat race.

Joyce, 51, who was forced to wear the tag after assaulting fellow politicians in a bar brawl earlier this year, used a pair of scissors to cut it off, to avoid negative publicity pictures of him wearing it.

Stirling Sheriff Court heard today that the former Labour politician was rowing for the House of Commons against the House of Lords in the London charity race.

When it was cut off, it set off an electronic buzzer, and he was contacted by security firm SERCO.

Speaking outside court today, he said he didn’t want to let down the organisers of Siemens-sponsored parliamentary boat race, but admitted that he’d made ‘an error’.

Joyce, who now lives in Stirling, admitted breaching the tag order on July 4 at the boat race, which was held on the Thames outside the Houses of Parliament.

His lawyer Dick Sandeman said: ‘This is a somewhat unusual case. He was at first not required to wear the tag, but he was eventually told he had to wear one and complied.

‘He had agreed to take part in a charity rowing match. It was set to take place on 11 July, the day after his tagging order ended but the race was moved a week earlier.

‘He was rowing for the House of Commons against the Lords.’

He said the bulky nature of the tag would make it difficult for Joyce to row, and that he was aware the press attention that would be brought by him wearing the tag, so he removed it.

This then set off an electronic notice, and he was contacted by security firm SERCO. Police were later contacted.

Rule-breaker: Joyce, 51, used a pair of scissors to cut the tag off, to avoid negative publicity pictures of him wearing it while he was taking part in a parliamentary boat race

Sheriff John Halley blasted Joyce for the breach, as he fined him £600.

He said: ‘You took it upon yourself to remove the tag which you were required to wear.

‘You’re recorded as saying that you cut it off to stop your photograph being taken for the charity event.

‘It’s not for you or anyone other person under a court order to decide to refuse to comply with the court order.

‘You made a clear decision to breach the order. It’s not a reasonable excuse.’

Joyce, who paid the fine before leaving court, said afterwards: ‘It’s quite a stiff penalty but I’m an MP and it’s perhaps an attempt to persuade others not to do the same.

‘The event was very high profile and for charity. I didn’t want to overshadow the charity’s work. If I turned up wearing my tag, that’s what all the papers focus would be on. Me and not the charity. I didn’t feel that was fair.

‘I made the decision to cut it off. If I’d knew it was a breach at the time, I wouldn’t have done it.

Victim: The former soldier was forced to wear the tag after headbutting the Conservative MP for Pudsey, Stuart Andrew, pictured

‘We didn’t even win in the end. We should have though.’

It was the first time since 2008 that the House of Lords rowing crew had won the yearly race.

The case is the latest in a long line of negative publicity for the Falkirk MP, who has faced calls from local residents to step down.

The former army major earlier this year avoided a jail sentence for throwing punches and headbutting two Conservatives after a late-night drinking session at the House of Commons bar.

He was given a 12-month community order after admitting four counts of assault at the Strangers’ Bar, and given a three month curfew in March this year, which involved the curfew.

The former soldier headbutted the Conservative MP for Pudsey, Stuart Andrew, and attacked Tory councillors Luke Mackenzie and Ben Maney, and Labour whip Phil Wilson, who represents Sedgefield.

Westminster Magistrates Court heard the 51-year-old later told police: ‘You can’t touch me, I’m an MP.’

He was also fined £3000 and was ordered to pay £350 compensation to each of his victims.

He has been permanently suspended from the Labour party, and also faced mounting pressure to quit after further claims were made about him, including that he was involved in an alleged inappropriate relationship with Meg Lauder, 19, who was 32 years his junior.

He earlier tried to play down his alleged fling with Ms Lauder during the 2010 General Election campaign, who was a schoolgirl when they met, although he admitted spending so much time with her was ill-advised.

He added: ‘I knew this girl, in fact knew her very well, for two or three months during the campaign.

‘But most of the time she refers to us being together, there were other people present. We were campaigning for the election.

‘Yes, I spent a lot of time with her and, on reflection, that was ill-advised of me.’