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I hope their appeal case gets thrown out, they should be ashamed of themselves. They got lucky in getting a community sentence as they could of got sent to prison. They should take it like ladies and deal with it. If the appeal does go forward perhaps they might get a prison sentence instead.

- Sam, London

Good call on their sentencing I say! Looks to me like they need to do a bit of growing up and straightening up. They are lucky to have had the chance to go to law school and the fact they graduated should credit them with some intelligence, although that is open to debate now.

Hopefully seeing and experiencing how other less fortunate people have to cope with living their lives far far away from places like Newbury and Tunbridge Wells will teach them some much needed life lessons.

I am astounded that 2 law students from the UK can be so naive and greedy. If I was their parents I would be terribly disappointed in them. Not to mention all the money spent on their educations was a complete waste of time in more ways that one!

- Abs, London

I expect their mummies and daddies are blaming everybody and his dog for this

- Joseph Nelson, bromley england

It is a good job they were tried in Brazil. In the UK you only get 8 years for murdering 270 people, so if they had been tried here we would probably have had to pay them compensation for hurting their feelings

- Barry, woking, surrey, UK

Man they should be able to do community service back in England.

- Anthony Williams, Charleston SC

They pled guilty and have received a very fair sentence. I hope they carry out all the community work assigned to them before returning to the UK - and on their return do NOT sell their 'story' to any tabloids!!!!!

- Scots Lass, Scotland

Brazil shows us how justice should be done - the girls will learn far more more to set them up for a worthwhile future by working for a spell in the favelas than any law degree from sussex uni taught them.
Sadder for the UK is how appallingly convoluted and inhumane our handling of the Jean Charles de Menezes case seems in contrast.

- Martyn L, kingston

If they are as bright as they are supposed to be this will be the making of them. They will see the value of life and money and if they cant learn from this well, they can always sell their sordid story on their return.

- Amazonmothe, hasting

@ Reuben Camara, Principality of Morecambe, EUSSR
"Brazil is a civilised country .."

Where the hell do you get your information from? Have you ever been?

@ Kerry, Purley
".. since their little darlings arrest .."

Mioooaw! Nothing like a bit of class bashing is there my absurdly communist adversary. By the way your fantastic Labour party has now racked up a nation debt of £800 billion. Nice going socialists.

- Frank, Home Counties, England.

I heard that to get into University to study law, today; you need the highest qualifications you can get, and due to the dumming down of A levels, practical work experience, like shop-lifting and fraud are the preferred qualifications for future solicitors and barristers.

This gives them the perfect qualifications to take on cases that involve Politicians and Bankers, and legal aid appeal processes for human rights violations and the inhumane deportations of convicted criminals.

These girls will end up high court Judges, or MPs.

All law students should go to Brazil, Afghanistan, or Uganda, for their future training and education, as the UK has lost it’s way in all matters of Law; just look at New Labour, nobody is more lost than they are.

- Mickinlondon, london.

Liars and lawyers theres not much difference is there?

- David, york england

Why on earth would anyone jump to the conclusion the the UK taxpayer would provide hotel accommodation for these criminals? The article even states that they will have to fund their stay in Brazil.

- Peter, London

I hope the Brazilian government makes them serve EVERYDAY of their sentances, only then will they learn from their stupidity.

- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London

Well, it's an opportunity to learn to speak Portuguese.

- Spudina, SS Italy

Do the crime then do the time. They should be considering themselves lucky. jail time in Brazil is not fun and games. perhaps now by doing the community service time in Brazil they can learn a new career and help others less well of than themselves. looking at the parents reaction just shows that because of them (the parents) they have no sense of responsibility for what they did. Let's move on and now worry about more serious things in this world.

- Jon Vickers, S.C.USA

They'll never be legal reps now, but they have all the correct attributes to become an MP.

- Dom, London

"Brazil is a civilised country with a proper legal process " - funniest comment I've read in a loooong time, Reuben! However, I fully agree that these two stupid girls should serve their sentence, though the punishment will go well beyond that as their chances of a job in the legal profession are now zero.

- Paul, London

They commited a crime, and then they got caught and done for Fraud.
They should have known better than to lie, cheat and try to hide the items under the bed, becuase now they are lucky that they are not locked up instead, didnt these 2 stupid Law undergraduates realise that it was all for greed, and now hopefully they will lose calories by just eating 6 months of some meat, beans bread and cheese.

- Poet, London

For good mesure why not send Biggs out there for them to look after too!

- Richard Edmunds, Rayleigh Essex

It's good to see that they are actually being punished!! What a waste of a law degree - unfortunately with criminal records can't see how they can be accepted into the legal profession!!!

- Pearl, London

Look on the brightside - at least this will serve as useful coursework for their degree!

- Mr Opinion, london

Don't be unfair on them...they probably thought that they were to get British justice...a tap on the hand !

- Edouard, Toulouse. France

So sorry for their parents. And it seems they WERE robbed, just tried to take culpable advantage of it. Now there's tomorrow - do the time, learn the language really well, empathise with the marginalised, junk the stupid 'legal career' and use the real advantages gained in adversity to have a useful and rather original life of service.

- Steve, London, England

These girls will find that they will be set up for life when they return. They will find many newspapers & tv crews queueing up and waving cheque books in return for their stories. They will of course claim that it was "a terrible misunderstanding" that they were innocent and were coerced into making false confessions because they feared long prison sentences.
I expect to see these girls in the new series of 'Banged up abroad' Telling their horrid tales of woe.

- Knowitall, london

They will find that community service is only a fraction of their deserved punishment. I doubt they will be allowed to practice Law. Their world will be very limited as many countries require a visa and they will find the question "Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence?" and when they say yes it is doubtful if a visa will be issued. The punishments may seem harsh, but it is people like these two girls who defraud insurrance companies who make insurrance ever more expensive for the rest of us.

- Joan, London UK

Who on earth would want to hire either of these two muppets as their legal representative. They can't even lie properly!

- Loki, Roskilde, DK

I suppose as they were trying to defraud UK insurance companies it kindof makes sense. However they should be forced to serve the same sentance in the UK. Stupid thieving bimbos is what they are and guilty as hell. With a law degree that is now worthless. I mean the greed and stupidity is beyond words. It may be terrifying for them but these are what are called consequences.

- Anthony, London

Aparently a "terrible mistake" or "misunderstanding" according to their legal team/parents. They are convicted fraudsters, just admit it. There time in Brazil should be funded by their families.

- David, London

eight months community service? good sentence I think, quite character building, which I think these two women need.

- Scott, cornwall

They should do the community work in the slums. It will make them better people. Amazing, that it takes a developing country like Brazil to show a developed country like the UK how criminals should be treated. I suggest the UK should do a deal with Brazil to send criminals from the UK to do community service in Brazilian slums or help the poor in Africa, India who live off less than a dolalr a day. They should try defending these people who really know hard justice, who can't afford to send their own children to school.

- Frank, Copenhagen, Denmark

This isn't a punishment it is a bloody brilliant opportunity to gain some really useful life experience. Trust me, the girls done GOOD!!

- Steve King, Brentford

Do I take it the British tax payers are paying for these fraudsters to stay in expenses (meals & room service) paid 5 star hotels for the next few months because the Judge lowered the sentence, we should demand they are sent to prison and save us the money and punish these nasty girls. They admitted gult let them sufer the consequences.

- Mary, Ealing

Perhaps the British Justice system can learn a thing or two. These women commited a crime and they have been sentenced accordingly, unless the mockery that we have. Just hope that us law abiding tax payers are not paying for their lawyers, hotels etc.

- Jk, Kent

16 months community service for fraud worth £1000 - in a country with one of the worlds highest (unsolved) murder rates. This is clearly just a political stunt.

'5 years hard labour' - miserable judgemental hyperbole much?

- James, London

Serves them right. As law students they should have know better .... a term in prison would have been better

- Strongbow Sullivan, Paris,France.

Good question. Could ES find out how much this is costing thi country are we paying for hotels for this convicted criminals?

- Gary, Brentwood

I guarantee the government will step in and they'll be allowed to do their community service back in the UK, if it works for drug mules then it works for fraudsters.

- Bob, Cheam

as law students they should be aware of what the word truth means, they should serve the time in jail however hard it maybe ans a leson will be learnt

- Mike Lloyd, bedford uk

What is not being reported here is they could easily have the original sentence upheld and be sent to prison. Foolish girls. It is very good to see real justice in action showing what a mess ours is in. How ironic these injudicious souls sought employment within the judiciary I suspect unless daddy helps that has been flushed down the pan now

Good they lied and are criminals FACT, just a shame we have let them back in the country I doubt Brazil wants them for longer than they have too, but they will be made an example of as you would expect from a civilised judicious system

- Ge, Cornwall

I hope they use a few more brain cells in their future 'legal' career. And I thought it would be difficult to graduate as a law student.....

- James Burroughs, Southampton, England

All that hard work on getting a law degree (albeit from Sussex university) down the loo!...sure you will find lots of willing legal employers now. They should be thrown in prison pure and simple - two less trollops for the UK tax payer to worry about. Plebs!!

- Bogdan, Westminster

I think that the two law Graduates should look into a mirror and treat their reflections as though they were clients, and advise their ' clients ' as to best course of action.
Find out if they will be entered on the UK CRO if they do not appeal, and do the work and just return.
Also the public interest in the UK on this story will have receded after those months.
See if it is possible to leave for another country other than the UK from Brazil and return from say Scandinavia by boat.
But if they do appeal apart from lining some legal persons pocket, the light of publicity shall shine all the brighter.
Do the work, make friends, learn good words to say to the nationals, a lot of Brazilians shall be sympatica as lots would have fallen foul of the law in a country that has such a great gap between rich and poor...bit like home.
Don't whine...you did the crime, do the time...it's very short really.
If they appeal that will drag along for the same time that doing the work and getting the full remission shall take.
Above all they have been stupid, but in the end have done something which householders to filmstars have done..tried to get something back from an insurance company.

- Stephen Fortescue-Durrand, richmond uk

They have been given a sensible and humane sentence. perhaps they may learn a little humility now. perhaps their mothers who have been railing against the Brazilians since their little darlings arrest will learn some too.
How can we ever try and hold the moral high ground unless we respect the laws of other countries. if we don't like their laws, don't go there and commit crime.

- Kerry, Purley

So yet another country shows us how to punish our citizens when they break the law.

If we had sensible sentencing perhaps these criminals would not travel the world thinking they can get away with it.

- London, London

I sincerely hope tax payers are not being made pay their legal bill.

- R.F., Yorks, UK

Brazil is a civilised country with a proper legal process - as opposed to the UK which is managed by wombles - they should jolly well stay in Brazil.

They should have got 5 years with hard labour.

Parasites.

- Reuben Camara, Principality of Morecambe, EUSSR

A fair and just sentence. I hope any appeal is turned down. A fine would be too easy for these girls families to pay, and community service in this country would be a right let off.
Working in real slums, they will see what real poverty is like and hopefully learn something from it. Who knows, perhaps some long term practical good will come from their experience.

- Rodders, SWTLand, England

They can't buy their way out of justice, like they probably could have in the UK.

- Neil, London, London UK

Do the crime-do the time. Not a good advert for British law graduates. Wonder if they can get a job in the UK in the area of law after this.I suspect they thought they could get away with it.Brazil is a very much up an coming country.

- Jim, London

What is all the fuss about here? They were found guilty of attempted fraud by a court of law. They should take the punishment and consider themselves lucky that they haven't been slapped with a jail term.

What is the alternative they are looking for? Some soft "community skiving" back here in the UK and a profit from selling their "my nights of fear in Brazil prison hell" stories to the tabloid gutter press, coupled with Z-list celebrity status on the club circuit. I hope the Law Society have taken note of their identities in case the fraudulent application for membership arrives glossing over the Brazilian criminal record!

- Edward Thompson, Bedfordshire

It's good to see that some countries aren't soft on crime like Britain.

- Martin Edwards, London

Why should they appeal? They did the crime, let them be punished. Presumably they think their careers shouldn't be affected for 'only' a £1,000 worth of crime.

- Roz, France

Not a good example for 'legal' graduates, is it? I'd like to see them try to get a legal job back in Britan with this hanging over them.

They should serve their sentences in Brazil, where the punishment will no doubt be tougher than our namby-pamby legal system. They deserve to be taught a lesson they'll never forget.

Personally, I would have preferred them to be thrown back into a Brazillian jail for the next 16 months as a deterrent.

- Nowan King, London

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