Muammar Al Khadafi

Paul White, aka Lord Hanningfield, former leader of Essex Council, and Tory peer, has been jailed for 9 months after being convicted on six counts of false accounting involving £14,000 of taxpayers money.

Hanningfield made false claims for overnight stays in London when he had in fact returned home to Essex, false claims for mileage and train fares, and hotel bills - including one bill for a hotel when he was actually aboard a plane to India.

Since his conviction, Hanningfield has supposedly been suffering from depression and was suicidal at the thought of going to prison. Don't they all get that, but only when they're caught?

He becomes second Lord to be jailed - Lord Taylor of Warwick, first black Conservative politician in the House of Lords, was jailed for 12 months after being convicted of swindling just over £11,000 in expenses.

"Great trust was placed in peers to be honest in their claims for expenses. Lord Hanningfield and others have broken that trust" said Mr Justice Saunders in passing sentence.

Hanningfield is seeking leave to appeal against the verdict.

Meanwhile, a cushy prison, and no doubt early release after 3 or 4 months served, awaits. Seems to be the pattern emerging for all those jailed for expenses claims so far.