MPs' expenses: David Chaytor loses jail term appeal
David Chaytor, the former Labour MP, has lost a challenge against the length of his jail sentence for fiddling his parliamentary expenses.
David Chaytor was jailed for forging tenancy documents and invoices to falsely claim more than £22,000 of taxpayers' money for rent and IT work from the Commons authorities Photo: JANE MINGAY10:10AM GMT 23 Mar 2011
The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, and two other judges sitting at the Court of Appeal in London refused to reduce the 61-year-old's 18-month prison term.
Chaytor, who forged tenancy documents and invoices to falsely claim more than £22,000 of taxpayers' money for rent and IT work from the Commons authorities, was jailed on January 7.
It had been urged on his behalf that the appropriate sentence was one of 12 months.
Announcing the decision, Lord Judge, sitting with Mr Justice Henriques and Mr Justice Foskett, said: "This was a grave breach of trust and there was a further aggravating feature of this case.
"It is difficult to exaggerate the levels of public concern at the revelation of significant abuse of the expenses system by some Members of Parliament.
"Some elected representatives, vested with the responsibility for making the laws which govern us all, betrayed the public trust."
He added: "There was incredulous consequent public shock.
"The result was serious damage to the reputation of Parliament, with correspondingly reduced confidence in our priceless democratic system and the processes by which it is implemented and we are governed.
"This element of damage caused by the appellant and others cannot be valued in monetary terms, but it is nonetheless real, and the impact of what has been done will not dissipate rapidly."
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