Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

Would the receiver of the calls not be the one who has to say this is indeed what they perceived the phone calls to be?

I imagine that it takes more than 4 or 5 phone calls as well otherwise we'd all be reporting telesales people for this harassment.

If the law was applied in black and white we'd just feed all the facts into a computer and see whether someone was guilty or not. Unfortunately for everyone but those in the legal profession, it doesn't work like that.

Courts would let them off lightly and it wouldn't be worth the expense.

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

You imagine wrongly.

Ross and Brand could have been prosecuted under more than one of those laws.

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

Ofcom recently fined Barclaycard £50,000 for silent calling thousands of people.

It also fined Abbey National earlier in the year, and reports that other investigations were ongoing or pending.

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

It would have still required Sachs to say and PROVE he found it threatening or harassment or whatever. Just because the calls are made doesn't mean they automatically fall into those laws. They all have requirement of psychological distress in some form.

I very much doubt they'd have received a strong punishment under any of those laws. They are designed to protect people against terrorising and nasty phone calls, not light pranks.

I like Andrew Sachs because he's been really mature and reasonable about the whole situation rather than turning it into an even bigger mess. He's an old man, he doesn't need a pointless court case at his age, he's old enough to know to forgive and move on, which he HAS done, and people should just let it drop now.

How many cases do you know like this one where a practical joker was prosecuted?
How many do you know where a malicious phone caller was prosecuted under the very same laws?

You'll find the numbers are substantially different. Anyone who believes the law is designed to prosecute anyone who steps slightly out of line and will be used in such a way needs to open their eyes to the real world. The only damage that has been done is to their own reputations and careers. Andrew Sachs was satisfied with the apologies they gave him and his family and everybody else should probably mind their own business now and accept it too. The only thing you are doing is providing more work for the media and they're leaching off you for it.

There was once a time when Charles Dickens wrote for the media and his literary genius was shared with the public, now all we get is rubbish overblown tales of a prank phone call gone wrong and 'celebrities' on drugs or having sordid affairs and the sad thing is that millions of people are willing to PAY for it. It's just crazy.

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

yes I can see how £50,000 must have been REALLY hard hitting to Barclays. What a harsh punishment. I bet they celebrated that result.

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

Sadly we have no choice about paying.

As licence fee payers we are funding the £6 million pound salary of Jonathan Ross and the like.

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

Come on funsters!

Still no takers for the joke you could give an elderly relative of your's?

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

I am a bit short on the elderly relative front, and the other surviving relatives all know me too well so it wouldn't be a shock to them !:o

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

Oh Lindsay, that sounds a bit like you're chickening out, and stopping your nearest and dearest having a great deal of fun.;)


:D

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

I could dig some of mine up for you to abuse if you are that desperate rindy ;)

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

Well if you think they'd appreciate a Ross/Brand type wheeze, bring 'em on down, or up, as the case may be.

Let's just hope they don't die laughing.

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

her daughter is a member on here but she is pretty unshockable lol

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

Brand has got nowt on me ! Never met the bloke, honest guv'nor!;)

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

The dig them up bit should have explained what I meant ;)

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

The 'bring 'em on down, or up', should have explained that I understood that;)


:dflam: :angel:

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

I wish I could help but I've got 1 set of grandparents in Penistone, near Sheffield, and they've been in the cemetery there since WW1. The other set are in the churchyard at Altham, been there well over 70 years, I'm not sure if they have been moved, the headstone has. Also there's not a lot to tell them - 1 husband, 3 kids, no scandals and I haven't four exxed Russel Brand either. :rolleyes:

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

I can't understand why anyone would want to:confused:

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

Really? You don't find him attractive at all?:confused: Good job we aren't all the same, it would make for a very boring world.:D

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

I wonder if it's a generation thing? I look at him and, apart from knowing he's younger than my children, he makes me want to pukey-wookey. :p

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

Just a wonder, three cannibals are on their way home after a night down the jungle disco, so they go to the takeaway, they look a the price list

Roast English man Kebab 4 dollars
Roast Irish man Kebab 4 dollars
Roast welsh man Kebab 4 dollars
Roast Russell Brand Kebab 35 dollars

One of the cannibals says to the guy behind the counter, that Russell Brand kebab seems a bit dear, whys that. The guys say have you ever tried to clean Russell Brand:D

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

I still think what he did was totally unacceptable, but having just watched Russell Brand's Ponderland, I still find him very, laugh out loud, funny.

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

There is a time and place for his humour though.

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

Yes, it was well after the watershed, and it was on Channel 4.

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

Do they still have the red triangle in the top right had corner to warn people about program content:D

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

No- it's now a little red or green LED next to the power button which tells you if what you're watching is going to be offensive or rubbish.

;)

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

The BBC last night discreetly announced that Ross is to return to presenting his saturday show on January 24th 2009. What has not yet been announced or released in any form whatsoever is the result of the internal investigation and inquiry into the Sachs affair. In fact, we the license payers are not even aware of the terms of the inquiry, nor when it commenced or when it finished. The only conclusion we can draw, therefore is that the entire process is at best a farce and at worse a complete mockery of any notion of natural justice. Quite simply, Ross should not be reinstated until the public finds out what happened and why. Oh.....I almost forgot. Both Brand and Ross have now been nominated for the "British Comedy Awards"

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

They should keep Richard Allinson, who's taken over the Radio 2 slot.

Just as good a show, and probably £17,050,000.00 cheaper to produce.

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

The BBC should sell off radio 2, togeather with radio 1. These two brand names (excuse the pun) are probably worth a couple of hundred million to the private sector. There is no reason whatsoever for these stations to be under a public service remit. If every other organisation in the UK is now under pressure to downsize and lay off staff I can see no reason why the BBC should be an exception. Get rid of this nonsense.

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

BBC's Jonathan Ross accepts a £3m pay cut | Mail Online
Just thought I bring this back up again.
Ross has taken a 50% pay cut when signing his new contract, he only gets £3 million a year now:eek: three bloody million, they are having a laugh and at our expense, but I for one ain't laughing:mad:

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

You've got to admire those Canadians ;)
Russell Brand refused entry into Canada - Showbiz News - Digital Spy

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

Always thought the Canadians had some sense:D

Re: Brand/ross 'prank'
 

Yup, even if you've be clean for years, former users can still experience the long-term effects of drugs.

Especially when it comes to your travel plans.

:rolleyes: