UK - Judge Constance Briscoe jailed for lying to Police

Judge and barrister (attorney) Constance Briscoe has been jailed for 16 months for lying to police during an investigation into a case against then high-ranking British politican Chris Huhne and his wife, Vicky Pryce.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-27254145

In 2003, Chris Huhne had asked his then wife, Vicky Pryce, to accept responsibility for speeding in a vehicle he in fact was driving, to avoid any scandal that would damage his career.

She agreed, but in 2010 when he had left her for his mistress, she tried to reveal to the press what had happened, without implicating herself. She enlisted the help of her friend, Judge Constance Briscoe. Briscoe is also the author of the best-selling autobiography, 'Ugly', in which she details her abusive upbringing at the hands of her mother, and her struggle to study law.

Eventually, both Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce were jailed for eight months each for lying to police about the original speeding offence. But during the investigation into that, it emerged that Constance Briscoe had lied to help Pryce, and also falsified documents.

So Judge (though not for much longer, I suspect) Briscoe has received a jail term twice as long as her friend Vicky Pryce did, and her career is in ruins. I didn't follow the trial but apparently she was a terrible client in the courtroom.

Not only that though. In 2008, Briscoe's mother sued her for libel in court over the 'Ugly' book, saying the allegations of abuse were untrue. She lost the case, but now it looks like there will be an investigation into that too, to see if Briscoe lied during that case.

The articles are also mentioning possible falsified Australian documents - That's a new one on me though.

I've read both Briscoe's books (pictured on my desk). I thought they were very good and positively inspirational for young women born without many chances in life. I hope they don't turn out to be fantasy.

'..she lied in a police witness statement about her friendship with Pryce'
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/may/01/judge-constance-briscoe-guilty-lying-police

'..faces fresh investigation into allegations of fraud.'
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-27239153

The libel case: 'My wicked mother came to court to tell a pack of lies.'
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/my-wicked-mother-came-to-court-to-tell-a-pack-of-lies-6836847.html

There's an allegation that she forged medical documents in the libel case, with one doctor who allegedly supposedly signed two of them saying that he couldn't have done:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27245579

The Judge's sentencing remarks:

http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/Resourc...ing-remarks-mr-j-jeremy-baker-r-v-briscoe.pdf

Briscoe is apparently writing a prison memoir while in jail, her publisher says.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/may/06/constance-briscoe-prison-memoir-agent

It seems likely Carmen Briscoe-Mitchell will appeal the libel costs awarded against her in the case Constance brought. She was ordered to pay over £600,000 costs and sell her home to do so, but got an order delaying the sale, pending the outcome of this trial.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...ainst-the-mother-she-wrote-about-8525460.html

The Guardian has had to write a Readers Editor article explaining its decision to allow former Minister Chris Huhne, to write an article attacking Constance Briscoe.

Readers didn't like it, seeing it as biased and attempting to shift blame for his own crime (for which he was convicted) onto Briscoe. There is a link to what Huhne wrote, within the article I am linking.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/15/allowing-chris-huhne-write-constance-briscoe

I agree with the readers. He admits he was guilty, justifies his initial, extensive denials and lies because Huhne says he knew Briscoe was lying, and appears to feel no remorse whatsoever for his crime. Criticises Briscoe for lying in public office, when he was a government minister and did exactly the same!

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/04/i-was-guilty-constance-briscoe-decption

BBM
'Many Jamaicans were privately appalled by the book. Even if it was largely true, it showed gratuitous disloyalty to her family.'

http://m.jamaicaobserver.com/mobile/columns/Constance-Briscoe-s-fall-from-grace_16584081

This is another politician, Diane Abbott, writing about Briscoe's downfall and her Ugly autobiography. Given that the book details such extreme abuse that Briscoe said she needed an operation to repair damage to her breasts, I find it shocking anyone would suggest a child owed any loyalty in such a situation.....

Obviously, there is doubt over Briscoe's credibility now. But I can't believe anyone in today's world still thinks it's a good thing for children to keep quiet about abuse, out of 'family loyalty'......

It may be worth mentioning, Briscoe's mother complained to the Bar Association about her daughter in the late 1990s, trying to get her struck off. That would have been the end of her career as a lawyer.

That was long before Briscoe published her autobiography, which seems to suggest her mother didn't feel kindly towards her child, even before that book?

So there is a link to Georgia, USA now. A doctor there spoke to the BBC, and said he used to leave his kids in the care of Briscoe's mother, and contacted the publishers when he heard about the autobiography, from Briscoe's mother.

He was concerned and told them (ahead of publication) to be careful, as this didn't sound like Briscoe's mother to him.

Next day, he got an answerphone msg that went like this he says, from (then) Judge Briscoe;

"Hi, Constance here. I hear you've expressed interest in my book. I'll make sure you get a copy when it's published, so you get all the details. Then I am going to punch you in the face".

I just heard this on the radio. it is from an investigative piece by the BBC, and the journos handed in their information halfway through Briscoe's trial, they were so concerned.

I just realised I don't have the link, but it's coming mods, promise!

Phew, here it is. I struggled there for a bit, to find the online link for the radio interview I heard.....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0435p0r

Constance's book said her breasts were so lumpy/damaged, she required emergency surgery. And that she 'presented at a much younger age' than was normal.

The actual reports say she presented at the normal age for the appearance of such lumps. No mention of an emergency. And two of those medical reports are now in dispute, as the doctors concerned cannot remember writing them.

One interviewee on the BBC (a doc) was haltingly saying that he just could not understand why he would have written a report about Constance suffering injury because of not doing something or other with 'chicken' (sic). He thinks he would have referred her case to a consultant and can't remember writing that report.

And he did not know what sic meant. His wife went off and looked up the meaning, during the BBC interview!

Just wow.

For sure this case will not end here. There is a $1million plus lawsuit between Briscoe and her mother at stake here...