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Look I have had a word with his Lordship in his chambers and he is not a bad chap you know, he knows that you are both in love, and he wants to give you the shortest sentence possible and put in a strong recommendation for Parole which you will get as long as you behave” Greenberg assured him.

“A short sentence?” asked Sean thinking of three or four months.

“Eighteen months but you will only do six and be out for Christmas” explained Greenberg smiling broadly.

“How do you know the sentence before it has even been passed” retorted Sean angrily, thinking of what seemed a long time. “Eighteen months” the words echoed through his head, ringing in his brain.

“Because that’s what you are paying me for and as your solicitor and I must further tell you that if you don’t agree and your girlfriend has to give evidence in open court, and don’t forget that the press will be there, the News of the World, they will put the story on the front page, and his Lordship will have to be seen to be doing justice” Greenberg said then paused dramatically, looking at him intently. “He has said that he would have to give you three years and you will do one year then with parole instead of six months.”  

 

“Do you plead guilty of having unlawful sexual intercourse with this girl, who shall not be named in open court when she was under the age of consent, aged only fourteen?”

Sean looked at the judge straight in the eyes and forced the words from his lips “Yes I plead guilty” he answered, declining to say His Lordship, or even Sir, that would have been too much like begging. He stood there proudly erect showing no remorse or fear.

“As you have pleaded guilty and taking into consideration all the mitigating circumstances in this case, I am going to be lenient, even though carnal knowledge of a young girl being under the age of consent is an extremely serious offence, I am going to send you to prison for eighteen months. Have you anything to say before they take you down?” asked His Lordship sweeping back his ermined lined red robes and looking at his pocket watch, then back at Sean over his glasses.

The words “Fuck you” went through Sean’s mind but he shook his head and walked down the steps not even bothering to shrug off the fat screw’s hold on his arm.

 

Chapter 3

 

In the prison coach he was handcuffed to another prisoner and as the coach swept out of the Crown Court and entered the London traffic he stared at the shiny, rain soaked streets thinking about Rita and when he would see her again. Now he had an eighteen month prison sentence. Greenberg had told him that he would only do six months, but he wondered if it was true.

“Here how long did you get mate?”

Sean brought himself out of his dream like state and realised that the prisoner that he was handcuffed to was talking to him. He turned to look at the prisoner next to him and noticed that he had light blond hair, a broken nose and light blue eyes. “Oh eighteen months” he answered.

“Eighteen months, oh you will be out in a year anyway. I got a three for screwing, I mean I only do commercials like, know what I mean? What you in for?” The prisoner with the broken nose looked at him keenly expecting an answer.

“I’m in for having sex with my girlfriend” answered Sean.

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