The Associated Press Posted: Jul 04, 2014
A jury found Rolf Harris guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault.
(Neil Hall/Reuters)
Television entertainer Rolf Harris, who for decades cultivated an image of the affectionate uncle with numerous children’s television programs, was sentenced Friday to five years and nine months in prison for a string of abuses against young girls.
Judge Nigel Sweeney told London’s Southwark Crown Court that the performer, a fixture on British and Australian screens for years, had abused the trust of millions. Ignoring the appeals of Harris’ attorney that the trial had punished him enough, Sweeney ruled that he must spend time behind bars for the 12 counts of abuse that took place from the 1960s to the 1980s.
“You have shown no remorse for your crimes at all,” Sweeney said. “Your reputation lies in ruins, you have been stripped of your honours. But you have no one to blame but yourself.”
The sentence was a spectacular fall from grace for the Australian-born celebrity who had been well respected in both countries.
He was granted the privilege of painting an official portrait for Queen Elizabeth II for her 80th birthday, and performed at the monarch’s Diamond Jubilee concert outside Buckingham Palace in 2012.
Harris’s song Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport was a hit in North America, Australia and the U.K. in the 1960s. Also “Vancouver Town.”
Read the rest of the story HERE.
Back in the early 1960s, I was one of many Richmond-area Cub Scouts recruited by Barkerville impressario Fran Dowie to become the Singing Pyjama Boys troupe. We performed a lot of Limeliters folk tunes at fairs and venues around Greater Vancouver. One of the gigs had us open for Rolf Harris. We met Rolf and I certainly don’t remember anything untoward going on. An evil yet sad end to a great performer who brought a lot of smiles to audiences worldwide.
At the end of the day, it was a creampuff sentence, and even Harris seemed to know of it, in advance.
It was NOT a five years and nine months jail sentence at all. Read the judge’s reasons for judgement. The judge said Harris could be released and paroled after only three years,
Harris was seen laughing and joking with the court house security guards, today, prior to today’s sentencing.
What is so particularly funny about going to prison and losing your well earned reputation, overnight, nobody knows for sure.
But, it seems that Harris was a real arrogant “pos”, as well, as he never admitted remorse for any of of his sexual assaults going back 30 years.
Meanwhile, many of his victim’s lives are in ruins.
He also got lucky, too. He could well have been charged with internet pornography crimes against young children, but those charges got stayed for reasons not clear.
The only hope now is that someone takes a whack at him while in jail, or he gets to bunk with bubba.
Hey Anonymous. May Six White Boomers land on you on Christmas morning!
Now we open the debate….does Six White Boomers get played on the Christmas stations still?
Waiting for someone to come up with a clever Rolf Harris song parody for this whole fiasco!
I’m always annoyed when a person’s art is censored for the transgressions the human behind it has made… Gary Glitter, Barenaked ladies, Cat Stevens. “Boomers” is a great song, a fun story and a part of our culture for a long time. That said… I don’t know I’d play it THIS year… but a permanent ban?
WHat is the difference between Rolf and glammy rock stars who pillowed underage groupies back in the day…no names needed… Rolf was caught.
Just sayin. without sin…something first stone something something…