Real life Robin Hood

[HBK-aholic]

The real-life Robin - or Benedict Hancock as he is otherwise known - was sent to prison today after it emerged he took millions of pounds from rich clients' accounts and gave it to needy customers.

Hancock channelled more than £7 million into the accounts of troubled companies without any "direct financial gain" according to a judge at Blackfriars Crown Court.

The court was told that the 39-year-old father of two did this because he "wanted the companies to do well, for their sake rather than his."

Hancock - who like his mythical counterpart is from Nottinghamshire - worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland as senior relationship manager.

He would take money from the accounts of his wealthier customers and loan it out to firms who required extra cash, setting up false accounts to transfer millions of pounds.

More often than not the companies did not notice the money was missing. If Hancock was ever questioned he would say the money had been invested in safe Bank of England bonds.

The unauthorised loans were discovered in November 2006 when one of Hancock's clients discovered he was £5 million short.

In the end he was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Yet there are some who think he should have been let off.

It's too leniant IMO. Whatever his motive, he was still commiting a crime, which in the end was making customers lose millions. To say he shouldn't have been punished is stupid. The richer clients worked for their money, and it wasn't his to give away to anyone else.

 

[Tastycles]

I'm with you on this one. Yes, the world's unfair, but its up to those that can afford it to solve that problem. You cannot expect to take millions of pounds from someone and not face the consequences.

Even from a moral point of view, this is a stupid thing to do. If the companies who had money stolen suddenly needed it, then what would have happened? Not only would he have gone to gaol, but he would have ended up damaging the big company, which might employ hundreds of people.

To be perfectly honest, he should have been treted as if he did take it all for himself, because that is no different from the victims point of view, which would probably mean a sentence of a few years.

 

[AnthonyMango/NoFate007]

I could see it being justified if he was "robbing from the thieves" so to speak, but if he was just flat out taking the money from someone else who merely has it, and manipulating it in a way that they didn't approve, then yes, there's no doubt that he should be punished.

Say I've got 100 bucks in my wallet. If I give it to you to hold and buy "100 dollars worth of McGuffin" with it, and you come back with 75 dollars worth of "McGuffin" because you used 25 to buy stuff for other people, how's that right? I didn't pay for them, I paid for me lol. Just because it might've been the nice thing to do doesn't mean its necessarily the right thing to do.

I don't see him as a modern day Robin Hood...just another thief.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

That story had me rolling, and I'm just not sure why. I think I'm out of my mind right now, but I'm half expecting to see reports on the local news about a guy dressed up in a cape and mask trying to prevent crimes from happening.. while speeding around in a supped up sports car breaking the law himself.

I think this just goes to show sometimes people try to hard in attempting to help others, and don't look at what they're doing as whether it's right or wrong. The guy's intentions may of been in the proper place, especially if he wasn't taking a single cent himself.. but the act was crime, pure and simple.

These clients' and their money weren't just given to them out of thin air, and I doubt it was given to them through acts of crimes. They earned it, and unfortunately some poor people in this life are poor for a reason of stupidity and laziness. The unwillingness to attempt making it in life.

The stupidest thing is, it wasn't like he was giving any of this money to homeless people, or people who really COULD use it.. he was taking it from one booming company and delivering it to several barely making it/struggling companies. That's kinda similar to the W.W.E. trying to intentionally send their top stars to T.N.A., just so they can have more of a challenge.

All in all, this is just a case of good intentions vs. lack of intelligence.

 

[Richard]

Real life Robin Hood? No, far from it.

Real life criminal is more like it. Regardless of your intentions, he still done a crime and if you do the crime, be prepared to do the time.

One example, Van Ngyuen. Not sure if other people have heard of him but I think his brother was in some financial trouble and to try and get some money, you know what this guy done? He smuggled drugs into Singapore (?) correct me if I'm wrong. Now, there was a good intention there, to help his brother but also at the same time he broke a big law over there. He got hung.

Also there are people who are more worse off than owners of failing businesses such as starving kids in foreign third world countries.

Also HBK-aholic, since you're from England? I'm curious to know this since it has probably been in the news there. Were the customers who were receiving the stolen money aware of what had been happening? If they were, what happened to the owners of the failing businesses?

 

[Enigmania]

I'm going to guess there were given through an anonymous invester - but in the end he isn't a Robin Hood. He's a thief. He made no financial gain from his stunt so 1. He's stupid 2. Deluded to think it could work 3. An idiot to think it is right.

These huge companies he robbed earned those millions. If the people he gave the money to are so piss-poor in there financial situations that's there problems and not his.

Some people think they can be saviors. They're wrong.

 

[AFC1986]

I think he was lucky to only get given an 18 month sentence. I think he should have had a much stronger sentence as at the end of the day he stole £7 million and no matter what good intentions he had he stole from his bosses and set up fake accounts which is also fraud (I think)