News

Jailed pensioner freed

Posted by admin on May 19, 2006 - 01:30 PM
Filed under: Articles, News

JAILED PENSIONER FREED

The 74 year old pensioner who was jailed over non-payment of council tax has been released after a Rome based lawyer paid off the Â£991 he owed .

George Frost was freed yesterday from Elmley Prison on the Isle of Sheppey.

Lawyer Giovanni di Stefano said he cleared the debt for a man he did not know "out of a sense of justice". He added: "I'm ashamed for the United Kingdom that has legislation allowing a pensioner to be imprisoned for what is in effect a civil debt."

George from Dover was sent to prison for 23 days. The town's magistrates ruled he wilfully refused to pay his council tax arrears.