... I'd give him a souvenier of Singapore, 50 of the best across his bare back.
-Comment from Judge Dread of North Perth. NEWS.com.au
What is it with the Australian public and their complete hatred of fellow humans who get caught taking drugs? What did Peter Lloyd do to society to receive such vile comments from readers all over Australia or more importantly, longer jail time than some violent offenders? No one can justify 10 months in a high security Singapore prison for possession of 0.41 grams of ice. Peter Lloyd needs help not prison. The ignorance on display as to why people take drugs is astonishing considering the amount of real information available at our fingertips. Imagine if it was someone that these readers knew because then they might actually have to understand what they’re talking about before going off at the mouth like savages.
ABC Reporter, Peter Lloyd, Jailed For Drug Offences
Dec. 2008
ABC reporter Peter Lloyd has been jailed for 10 months by a Singapore court for drug offences.
Lloyd, 42, the ABC's former New Delhi-based correspondent, pleaded guilty to all three charges.
Judge Hamidah Ibrahim sentenced Lloyd to eight months for possessing the stimulant methamphetamine and another eight months for consuming it. The sentences are to run concurrently.
He was charged with possessing 0.41 grams (0.014 ounces) of the stimulant, also known as ice.
Lloyd received an additional two months in jail for possessing drug paraphernalia stained with ketamine, an anaesthetic which police say has become common at dance parties.
Lloyd's reaction to the sentence could not be immediately determined because he stood with his back to the public gallery.
His ex-wife broke down in tears and had to be consoled by a friend.
The television reporter has been free on bail but his jail sentence was to begin today.
His lawyer, Hamidul Haq, said earlier that Lloyd had expressed remorse.
He was arrested while on holiday in Singapore on July 16.
Singapore's attorney general last month withdrew a charge of trafficking 0.15 grams of methamphetamine against Lloyd.
The offence carried a prison term of between five and 20 years behind bars and five to 15 strokes of the cane.
Singaporean sales executive Sani Saidi, 31, was sentenced in August to 10 months' jail after pleading guilty to possessing 0.15 grams of methamphetamine which he admitted having bought from Lloyd.
Murdoch media outlets are infamous for their visceral, narrow minded readers who are rapidly gaining a reputation as being cruel and sadistic. It seems schadenfreude is their favourite sport as many of these readers constantly make inhumane comments especially about drug users.
Don't have any sympathy for this man, especially as he was a journalist, you damn well should have known better, don't care if you rot in jail.
-Comment by 1grumpy of WA of Spearwood. NEWS.com.au
I have written before about these low-lifes who are prepared to laugh off the fate of those subjected to draconian and barbaric drug laws like the Bali 9 and Schapelle Corby. Spewing out hateful, arrogant comments based on ignorance may just be due to the anonymity of the internet and when face to face, they may be more reasonable. I doubt it though. The common factor in these comments are the drug myths which is the result from nearly 40 years of scare tactics and anti-drug propaganda. In a quest to demonise drug use, governments have succeeded to fill our heads with misinformation and a belief that drug use is a gauge of someone’s value. Add to this, the influence of the nutty religious right on conservative politics and you have a large group of the public who see drug users as godless, social dependant misfits who are too weak or lazy to take responsibility for themselves. As usual, the right take the most simplistic view possible when an issue requires actions that might upset their comfort zone. The real worry though is the aggressive nature of these comments which lack any humanity at all. I wonder if they made the same sort of comments when conservatives like George Bush, Rush Limbaugh or Cindy McCain were reported abusing drugs?
Good riddance. I get sick and tired of people coming out with all the "special" reasons why they succumb to drugs. Perhaps, now, he'll have plenty of time to think about how stupid he is to take drugs and how especially stupid he is to take them in a country known for its hard line on drugs.
-Comment by Jeff. NEWS.com.au
Drug use is a medical issue and serving 10 months in a Singapore prison is not going to achieve anything positive for anyone especially Peter Lloyd. How a drug user can still be jailed in this day and age is worrying particularly for such a small amount. There is no evidence that punitive actions against drug users achieves a positive outcome for society and is, in fact proven to do the opposite. Given the recent knowledge that he is also suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), he should be receiving medical treatment in a hospital or clinic. But this is really just an excuse for out-of-date, ineffective laws that serve no purpose except appeasing moralists, politicians and anti-drug proponents. Sending people to jail does not deter drug use and Singapore has the same drug problem as any other country. Such severe penalties only drive users further underground away from medical help which is probably why new HIV/AIDS cases in 2007 were the highest for a single year since records first started in 1985. The official figures say that 93% of HIV/AIDS cases were from heterosexual sex but you have to wonder if Singapore’s extreme laws against homosexuality, drug use and promiscuous behaviour has an effect on how it is reported by sufferers.
I wish Peter Lloyd all the best over the next 10 months and hope that he remains safe. Changi prison is a modern facility with humane conditions so hopefully his time will fly by quickly. Although trash media like NEWS.com may bring out the nutters, there are just as many who feel for Peter Lloyd and feel his punishment is extreme. I hope he realises this if he ever has the misfortune of reading the ugly comments from some truly fucked up individuals.
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