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Rebecca Shuttleworth

19 replies

MatersMate · 25/06/2013 18:47

Have just seen on the news, she got life, that poor poor little boy. I feel really shaken and sick after seeing it.

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MatersMate · 25/06/2013 18:50
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Northernlurker · 25/06/2013 18:58

It's another horrible case. There seem to be a lot of these going through the courts atm. Hers is quite unusual as most often in this set up what you see is the stepfather figure taking the lead in abuse and the role of the mother is much more complex and difficult to identify. Doesn't seem so in this case. 18 years will put her in early 40s when she gets out. There's no risk anybody would ever let her keep a baby again is there? Some people should not ever be near children.

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MatersMate · 25/06/2013 19:17

So, she could get out with good behaviour in time to have another child? Surely they wouldn't let her keep it.

They showed a clip on the news after the baby had died, she won some postcode lottery thing and was jumping around celebrating.

The boyfriend at the time got 9 months suspended for child cruelty.

so no time at all then. Disgusting.

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Northernlurker · 25/06/2013 20:00

I don't know - her age is given both as 32 and 25. Even at 50 a pregnancy might be possible though I desperately hope not.

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timtam23 · 25/06/2013 21:03

A minimum term of 18 years doesn't sound much, the Chief Inspector was saying it was the worst case of child abuse they'd ever seen and that Rebecca Shuttleworth had shown absolutely no remorse.

9 months suspended for the boyfriend also seems like a very light sentence.

I would be interested to read the judge's sentencing comments with the mitigating factors etc - are they available online?

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Northernlurker · 25/06/2013 21:20
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Northernlurker · 25/06/2013 21:27

THat's a link for the sentencing remarks - which any normal person would find distressing reading btw including a description of his injuries.

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timtam23 · 25/06/2013 21:30

I've found the full text of the judge's sentencing remarks - I won't link to it here because it contains all the details of what happened to the little boy and it's quite upsetting to read. But what the judge has said is - starting point for the sentence is 15 yrs. Aggravating factors are that the child was very young, there were repeated assaults, no attempt to seek medical care after the final assault and Rebecca Shuttleworth as his mother failed to protect and look after him.

Mitigating factors -apparently she did not intend to kill him, she was young at the time of the offence, she had no previous convictions (although the sentencing comments state that the child cruelty dates from 2005) and had a troubled upbringing

Aggravating factors plus the concurrent sentencing for child cruelty convictions increase the minimum term to 21 years, the mitigating factors then decrease it to 18 years

It still doesn't seem much for a child's life

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timtam23 · 25/06/2013 21:32

Crossposted Northernlurker - thanks

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Wannabestepfordwife · 25/06/2013 21:34

That poor little boy it breaks my heart that people who would make amazing parents can't have children yet monsters like her can.

I found the comments about her being in care herself made it easier for her to manipulate care professionals very interesting.

I hope she serves life, she's already a sociopath so prison may just harden her and turn her even more into a monster- if that's possible.

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Thurlow · 25/06/2013 21:49

I wish I hadn't read that Sad

But then a part of me thinks that boy deserves people knowing what happened to him.

I think the judge's summary makes sense though. There is only so much they can do within the law, and I feel he makes his case that this is a minimum sentence.

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MatersMate · 25/06/2013 21:51

she won't serve her whole life will she? she should, but she won't.

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suebfg · 25/06/2013 21:54

I started to read it but couldn't finish it...

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MatersMate · 25/06/2013 22:01

no I can't read it, the news was bad enough.

the biological father was on the news though, hasn't seen his son in good knows how long, poor baby :(

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timtam23 · 25/06/2013 22:09

I wonder would it be OTT to write to the Attorney General about this minimum term? I know the judge did add time onto the statutory 15 yr minimum but the mitigating factors seem to have had a lot of weight given to them. There was significant child cruelty going on in 2005, the only reason she had no previous convictionsfor the judge to take into account is that she was able to get away with it until now.

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suebfg · 25/06/2013 22:25

Lots of people did that at the time of the Baby P case, myself included.

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timtam23 · 25/06/2013 22:41

suebfg yes I've written in the past as well. I think it only takes one person to write to the AG and they have to look at the case to see if the sentence should be reviewed. I will do it, if their decision is that the sentences were reasonable then so be it.

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salsmum · 26/06/2013 03:00

Was it only me who couldn't help but notice how much this poor lad looked like 'baby P?' I wish I was outside the court I would have at the very least thrown eggs all over her...but she seemed to have walked in without any 'hassle' Evil scumbag.

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SinisterBuggyMonth · 26/06/2013 17:17

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