ACU School transcript:

"Well you children up the back have been very naughty today so I am going to keep the whole class in tonight.
That will teach you a lesson to associate with bad people!"

Tomcat, I agree with much that you say but sometimes the cunning, devious, self-serving, greedy and evasive get over confident and make mistakes and trip themselves up.
No one is going to put their hand out to help poor old Billy Bunter up.
My opinion is there is no amount of bluster that will get him out of the current mess.