They really are a bit slow. Do keep up.
Freedom arrived earlier than expected for smoking ban martyr Nick Hogan yesterday... courtesy of a briefcase full of cash carried by a man in a green Guy Fawkes mask.
Former pub landlord Mr Hogan became the first person to be jailed in connection with the smoking ban when he was sentenced to six months for refusing to pay a fine imposed for flouting the legislation.
His plight inspired a campaign on the internet to raise funds to pay off his outstanding fines.
It reached its climax yesterday (national no-smoking day, no less) when a mysterious blogger called Old Holborn delivered the money to Forest Bank prison in Salford - 11 days into Mr Hogan's sentence.
The arrival of the self-styled ' libertarian vigilante' at the Category B prison in his mask, full black costume and hat left other visitors amused or bewildered.
In the prison car park, Old Holborn, who wore his costume to hide his identity, flipped open the metal case to reveal enough bundles of used fivers and tenners to pay the £8,445.15 needed to secure 43-year-old Mr Hogan's release.
I read the Daily Mail account, which omitted a couple of pertinent facts.
ReplyDeleteThe comments followed a largely predictable pattern, many non-smokers misunderstanding the principles involved - and some may want to include smoking in a new public execution bill.
Old Holborn's disguise convinced some that "big tobacco" raised the money. Incredible.
(I was a contributor and am a non-smoker, like several of the commentors, but that wasn't good enough for the "antis".)
There really are some rabid anti-smoking comments over there. What they don't seem to realise is that there was a principle at stake. To be allowed to live our lives without the dead hand of the state demanding that we do nothing that they don't like.
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