Muammar Al Khadafi

Former Labour MP, now jailbird, Jim Devine is now blaming the internet for his sorry predicament, claiming that it rendered it impossible for him to receive a far trial.

The crooked ex politician hit out in a letter sent to prisoners newspaper Converse, saying that he knew of MP's who were worried that it was difficult for an individual to receive a fair trial in the internet age, and insinuating that jurors in his own case would have trawled the internet for information despite explicit instructions from the judge that they should not do so.

He also claimed that he knew at least 10 inmates of Belmarsh prison who thought that tabloid reporting had jeopardised their chance of a fair trial.

There's a great little scene in The Shawshank Redemption between Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins that springs to mind.

Andy Dufresne: What about you? What are you in here for?
Red: Murder, same as you.
Andy Dufresne: Innocent?
Red: Only guilty man in Shawshank.

Or, later on, again spoken by Andy Dufresne, "My lawyer f*cked me. Everybody's innocent in here. Didn't you know that?". Just replace 'lawyer' with 'internet' to bring it up to date for the modern age and there we go.

Devine, whom the judge said lied about many parts of the evidence which he gave in his defence, swindled taxpayers out of £8,385 with false expenses claims.

There's 8,385 reasons why you are inside right there, not to mention 8,385 more reasons why the people of Britain have fast lost faith in MP's integrity and honesty.

Just think too Jim - without the internet, or the tabloids, there'd be nobody to give coverage to your petulant whining. Not that anyone is listening anyway.