Dianne Whybro stole $250,000 from Westpac at Coolamon and received a similar sentence.

Finally, Andrew Peel embezzled $80,000 from the Borambola Pastoral Company and for his crime he received a community service order.

These four people were all sentenced in the same Wagga District Court in the past year.

Now, am I missing something here, or do these sentences seem contradictory?

I understand Peiper's money was public funds, but still four years jail with 12 months off for good behaviour - it seems harsh when compared to the amount McColl stole.

Based on the above information I think I could safely steal $250,000 from my employer, Fairfax Media, and not get into too much trouble.

Mind you there's no way they would let me anywhere near that sort of money, but being a white collar crime, and me being a first offender, I think my chances would be pretty good.

Sadly, that's what is happening in our courts today.

The excuses are just being rolled out willy nilly.

Today footballers get into strife, they book themselves into a clinic and proclaim to the world they have mental health issues.

I wonder if that's really the case or did they just trash a motel room, or worse, while blind drunk?

It's just not good enough.

Mental health should not be seen as an easy way out and it most certainly shouldn't be used as an excuse.

Similarly children who have actually suffered at the hands of a paedophile must reel away in horror when they see offenders in court blaming that experience for their errant ways.

I know one victim in particular who has gone onto live a very productive and fruitful life.

She's highly successful and has never ever played the blame game.

Everyone has setbacks, admittedly some worse than others, but no one misses out.

Unfortunately, self responsibility seems to be a thing of the past.

Peiper, McColl, Whybro and Peel were all trusted employees, yet they all did level their best to fleece thousands upon thousands of dollars from their employers.

Really, what they did was pretty ordinary, but their sentences on face value at least are disproportionate.

No doubt they all had their reasons for doing what they did, but at the end of the day they are corrupt, and all their sentences should reflect that corruption.