SA: Francis escapes jail over contempt of court charges

AAP General News (Australia)
08-25-2006
SA: Francis escapes jail over contempt of court charges

ADELAIDE, Aug 25 AAP - Adelaide radio shock-jock Bob Francis has escaped going to jail
over comments that a magistrate's face should be "smashed in".

Francis was today sentenced to nine weeks in prison and fined $20,000 after being convicted
on two counts of contempt of court.

But Supreme Court Justice David Bleby suspended the jail term, instead putting Francis
on an 18-month good behaviour bond.

Justice Bleby also fined Festival City Broadcasters, owner of radio station 5AA, $80,000.

On October 26 last year, Francis used his top-rating evening program on 5AA to discuss
the case of Robert John Walker, a man charged with possessing child pornography who had
been found with a list of names and addresses of young children and documents expressing
a desire to eat them.

During the program, Francis said Walker was guilty, despite the fact he had not entered
a plea at the time.

Francis went on to describe the case as "worse than the Snowtown bloody deaths" and
said a decision by Adelaide magistrate Gary Gumpl to hear a bail application for Walker
was irresponsible.

"Am I here as a normal bloody human being or do judges live in another world?" he said.

"Oh, smash the judge's face in."

Francis later said he was unaware that, by law, a magistrate must give due consideration
to all bail applications.

AAP tjd/la/it/sp

KEYWORD: FRANCIS

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