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| Christopher Tappin close to US plea deal over arms charges | Christopher Tappin close to US plea deal over arms charges |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Christopher Tappin, the retired British businessman extradited to the US over arms dealing charges, is expected to reach a deal with prosecutors next week. | Christopher Tappin, the retired British businessman extradited to the US over arms dealing charges, is expected to reach a deal with prosecutors next week. |
| Tappin, 65, was extradited in February on charges of conspiring to sell batteries for Iranian missiles and faced up to 35 years in jail if convicted. He has always denied the charges. | Tappin, 65, was extradited in February on charges of conspiring to sell batteries for Iranian missiles and faced up to 35 years in jail if convicted. He has always denied the charges. |
| Prosecutors said he would appear in court to re-enter his plea on Thursday, four days before his trial in Texas was due to start. He is currently on bail in the US. | Prosecutors said he would appear in court to re-enter his plea on Thursday, four days before his trial in Texas was due to start. He is currently on bail in the US. |
| Plea bargaining is common in the US, with defendants often able to secure a more lenient sentence if they admit an offence and co-operate with prosecutors rather than contest the charges in a trial. | Plea bargaining is common in the US, with defendants often able to secure a more lenient sentence if they admit an offence and co-operate with prosecutors rather than contest the charges in a trial. |
| David Bermingham, who was one of three bankers jailed for 37 months over an Enron-related fraud in a deal with US prosecutors in 2008, said in March that no sane defendant would risk dozens of years in jail when a plea bargain could enable them to be home within months. | David Bermingham, who was one of three bankers jailed for 37 months over an Enron-related fraud in a deal with US prosecutors in 2008, said in March that no sane defendant would risk dozens of years in jail when a plea bargain could enable them to be home within months. |
| "A prosecutor can now effectively be judge, jury and executioner," he said. "He can say: 'I'm going to charge you with 98 different counts, each carrying a five- or 10-year maximum sentence, and potentially you could be sentenced to literally the rest of your life in prison.' | "A prosecutor can now effectively be judge, jury and executioner," he said. "He can say: 'I'm going to charge you with 98 different counts, each carrying a five- or 10-year maximum sentence, and potentially you could be sentenced to literally the rest of your life in prison.' |
| "And there's no parole. There's no two ways about it. A prosecutor can threaten a defendant with the rest of his life in prison. However, if you are willing to plead guilty, 30 years becomes five years. If you are then co-operating and willing to give evidence against others, five years becomes two." | "And there's no parole. There's no two ways about it. A prosecutor can threaten a defendant with the rest of his life in prison. However, if you are willing to plead guilty, 30 years becomes five years. If you are then co-operating and willing to give evidence against others, five years becomes two." |
| Tappin, from Orpington, Kent, will enter a plea at the court in El Paso, Texas, at 11.30am local time on Thursday. | Tappin, from Orpington, Kent, will enter a plea at the court in El Paso, Texas, at 11.30am local time on Thursday. |
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