OUR recent page one story about the transfer of Craig Rouget to a UK prison by private jet has brought strong reactions from many quarters.

Rouget, convicted of killing James Dean in 2006, was flown from Guernsey to a mainland jail last Tuesday aboard a twin-engined private charter flight, accompanied by three warders.

We requested a figure for the cost of that move, which was finally revealed by the Home Department yesterday.

Although described as being substantially more than a regular flight, a spokesman put the sum at ‘less than £3,000’. The vast majority of such transport procedures, it added, is done using standard public flights. The risk assessed in this ‘unusual case’ it said justified the method.

Many, including the Dean family, are outraged at the expense. But a few concerns have reached us about our use of the story, as have radio reports about our headline, ‘Killer’s private flight to UK jail’.

The Guernsey Press always considers the possible impact of such stories on everyone in our island community. We also choose our headlines carefully and responsibly.

As Rouget was found guilty by our own court of knifing James Dean to death, the term is clearly an accurate one. It is also significant to the story, as it was the whole reason a private transfer was deemed necessary.

We also felt the story warranted page one prominence due to the right of taxpayers to know how their money is being spent. Thanks to this approach, we eventually discovered the costs involved.

The high-profile nature of the case, a story covered by all the local media, also added to its significance. It also led to a police campaign headed by James Dean’s family and promoted by this newspaper to combat knife crime.

We realise that both families have been affected in different ways, which is why they have both been approached for their thoughts and comments each time.

Thankfully such tragic events are very rare in Guernsey but this was a story that shocked the island and touched the lives of many people.

And its impact continues, which is why, as a newspaper at the heart of that community, we feel it is important to tell our readers all the facts in a fair and balanced way.