Black's defiance 'may increase his prison sentence'

Lord Black of Crossharbour could earn himself extra time in prison if he
continues his defiance over his ‘guilty’ verdict.

The disgraced press baron remained
unapologetic
in the face of his convictions of fraud and the obstruction of justice, and even
hurled insults at the chief federal prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, during a
press conference.

The Times has suggested that Judge Amy St Eve may take Black’s
public abuse of Fitzgerald into account when she sentences him on November 30.

The 62-year-old media mogul and three others – former Hollinger vice
president Peter Atkinson, 60, and ex-chief financial officer John Boultbee, 64 –
were accused of pilfering $60m (£29.5m) in payments that were meant to benefit
his former newspaper company.

‘This war has gone on for nearly four years and the original allegations have
been worn down to a fraction of where the started,’ Black to told the Canadian
National Post.

He said he had been vindicated, since the jury cleared him of three of the
six fraud charges, as well as three counts relating to company ‘perks’, tax
fraud and racketeering.

However, Black was warned about his comments during the trial, after he
declared that the prosecutors’ case was ‘hanging like a toilet seat around their
necks’.

The peer faces a maximum of 35 years in prison.

Sentencing regulation allows a judge to deal leniently in the case of a
guilty plea or a display of contrition – an opportunity Black has clearly
missed.

Black, who was out on a £10.3m bail during the weekend, is due to re-appear
in court on Thursday for another bail hearing.

Further reading:

Lord Black found guilty of fraud

Auditor: No surprise at payments made to
Conrad Black