Crown Prosecution Service solicitor accused of targeting judge ex-wife's lover through work computer systems

A Crown Prosecution Service lawyer is on trial accused of unlawfully accessing information about his judge wife's new lover after their marriage broke down. Scott Ainge, 47, was accused by estranged wife Kate of mounting "a relentless, determined and continual campaign of harassment" that culminated in him abusing his access …

[Red Sceptic]

“Cavorted”?!

What is this, the D***y M**l?

[John Doe 12]

Didn't you realise that The Register is basically a tech version of the Daily Fail?? :-D

[Kane]

"What is this, the D***y M**l?"

The Diggy Moll?

The Dirty Meal?

The Dandy Mill?

[Doctor Syntax]

"It appears that cases may be on the increase this year, perhaps thanks to COVID-19 forcing most of the UK to stay at home."

Given increasing delays in the courts any cases arising out of WFH aren't going to surface in the courts for some time. Getting cases to court is a process subject to Hofstadter's law.

[Danny 2]

Socrates' Celibacy

(Bear in mind this is my interpretation of something Plato claimed about Socrates. I can't be bothered to source and correct it but you could if you wanted to)

Socrates approached a much older man and said he must be happy that he no longer had libido so he could focus on his intellect. The old man disagreed.

In my own life I've seen two septuagenarian uncles bicker to their deaths over a fifty something female mental health patient.

I said to my mum, "I thought it would get better as we aged", "No, it just gets worse".

I've been celibate for many years, by choice, voluntarily celibate unlike those young hate filled 'incel' killers. I slept with almost everyone I wanted I wanted to sleep with, and turned more down than I accepted. I wouldn't give a .....

[JDPower]

"as she cavorted with new lover"?

Have you hired an ex Sun journo?! The marriage had apparently down and she was in a new relationship, there's no need for language that implies she was doing something wrong. She is the victim here ffs.

And then you go on to make it worse with "Kate Ainge is not the only judge to have been involved in Computer Misuse Act proceedings in recent years". Comparing her, the victim, with someone else who committed a criminal act. Or do you somehow think she is in the wrong here, not her husband.

Gives an unpleasant sexist undertone to the article that is well below Reg's usual standard

[Fruit and Nutcase]

"Kate Ainge is not the only judge..."

Now, if it were a male judge, would that statement have been...

"Judge Ainge is not the only judge..." ?

[macjules]

"Kate Ainge is not the only judge to have been involved in Computer Misuse Act"

But she isn't at all. Her ex-husband is. She is the victim of this.

Strange how it sounds like she is the perpetrator.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: "Kate Ainge is not the only judge to have been involved in Computer Misuse Act"

The case against the other judge was also dropped, so really neither has been "involved in the Computer Misuse Act" beyond the scope of being a victim or alleged perp.

My wife has to deal with the CPS in a professional capacity on a daily basis, and given the level of arrogance and incompetence of some of their lawyers, I can't say this case surprises me that much.

I suppose the old adage about civil servants holds true; if they were good at their job, they would be doing it privately for much more money.

[Phil O'Sophical]

?

"Cavort" just means to jump or dance around excitedly. Why do you think it means anything wrong? If you've never cavorted with a lover you've missed out on a lot of fun!

[cbars]

Re: ?

~~~ Words have only one interpretation in all contexts. The dictionary is the rule book. Any other statement made by a human would be incorrect, meep morp. ~~~

It has negative connotations. If you interact with other humans you pick up on these things.

I'm also of the opinion that this was a poor effort and the writer should have a look in the mirror.

(Having a look in the mirror, does not literally mean examining their own reflection, it carries the connotation of shame or remorse for one's actions)

[PhilipN]

Re: ?

“Cavort” has very positive connotations. I wish I was doing it right now.

[Phil O'Sophical]

Re: ?

~~~ Words have only one interpretation in all contexts. The dictionary is the rule book. Any other statement made by a human would be incorrect, meep morp. ~~~

Indeed, so let me quite the definition of "cavort" from several dictionaries

Chambers: cavort: to frolic, bound

Oxford Pocket: cavort: To prance, caper

American Heritage: cavort: To prance about, caper

It has negative connotations.

No, it really doesn't. It can be used in a negative way "he cavorted with his married mistress", but that's context, the word itself is not negative.

Having a look in the mirror, does not literally mean examining their own reflection, it carries the connotation of shame or remorse for one's actions

Correct, but that's because it's a metaphor, not a literal description.

[JDPower]

Re: ?

You conveniently left out a definition:

"INFORMAL: Engage enthusiastically in sexual or disreputable pursuits."

Maybe you're not based in the UK, but it has a well established negative connotation in UK media/tabloids. And even If the author meant they were "prancing about" (your chosen definition), I suspect they are smart enough to know the other uses of the word so why use a loaded term in the first place when there are a myriad number of ways to state that she was just in a new relationship.

[cbars]

Re: ?

The OP specifically quoted the full phrase used, and was complaining about the inappropriate use of the word, that is: the context.

My example was to illustrate that interpretation is required when reading, my whole point was that to turn to a dictionary was a mistake. You have literally missed the point (or have you? That's a tricky one)

Though I am pleased you know about metaphors, tomorrow's lesson is on Polysemy.

[Phil O'Sophical]

Re: ?

The OP specifically quoted the full phrase used, and was complaining about the inappropriate use of the word, that is: the context.

Not quite. The OP quoted the full phrase "cavorting with her new lover", and then went on to point out that her new relationship was in fact unobjectionable (since her previous marriage was over) and objected to "cavorting" based on his assumption that it was a pejorative term more appropriate to a tabloid. The context here was entirely appropriate to the correct the use of the word.

tomorrow's lesson is on Polysemy.

I'll table that, if you don't mind.

[cbars]

Re: ?

OK, so now we're arguing about whether the OPs interpretation was correct or not, and not the definition of a word. Great. I don't know about you but I enjoyed that!

Also, in the theme of the thread, you would have been safe to use "their" rather than "his" :)

[Chairman of the Bored]

Ahh, young love and networks

Fifty shades of bad day-

Boy meets girl. Both work in my firm, but the girl is more successful. Possibly because the boy is a complete dick. Years pass, and the girl is banging approximately fifty percent of the fellow managers in her division. Concave or convex, she did either sex. Upon getting input about this, boy throws an exception.

Divorce is nasty, natch. There was a lot of "I'm gonna get him/her!" comments.

So one day quite a few of us open a routine briefing from blue balled boy, to find some EXTREMELY interesting photos in a briefing. Title is "How to get Promoted" and it features our lovely girl testing all sorts of managers I/O ports and exploring the joys of plug and play. Hammer and tongs? They'd blush.

Many vacancies resulted from that.

Why, oh, why must people use their phones to video navel exploration and offshore drilling operations?

[Anonymous Coward]

Workplace affairs are all too common

> that culminated in him abusing his access to CPS computer systems to look up the criminal past of her new lover.

So he thinks they met at work then!

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Re: Workplace affairs are all too common

or did the Judge take work home?

[Anonymous Coward]

Will this affect his job?

Last week's case of the policeman convicted under the CMA noted that he was sacked (following conviction). If convicted, will Scott Ainge also be sacked from the CPS? And will it affect his membership of the Law Society (professional body of solicitors in the UK)?

[Cynic_999]

Re: Will this affect his job?

Yes, almost certainly.

[Loyal Commenter]

Re: Will this affect his job?

That, or it qualifies him to be the next Attorney General. Given the quality of Suella Braverman's legal opinion, provided for the government, on the advisability of breaking international law, it may be her boots are empty soon enough.