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News

Brutal murder in Reading

33 replies

speedymama · 21/03/2006 08:58

Has anybody else been sickened by this killing \link{http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4664492.stm\here}

One of the convicts's mother has disowned him. If my child ever did something like that, I would be horrified that he could even think about doing something like that, let alone that he would actually carry it out but I wonder if I could ever disown him? He would have to show genuine remorse and regret as well as apologise to the family whose lives he would have ruined before I could even consider forgiving him.

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Report

expatinscotland · 21/03/2006 09:02

I could disown my child for doing something like that. Definitely. They were adults and knew damn well what they were doing. Those girls begged for their lives and these sick, twisted fucks hadn't a scrap of humanity inside them.

And it's so fucked up and twisted, I could not own someone who did that to another human being. I couldn't bear to look at them, much less realise I put them on this Earth to do something like that to someone.

alexsmum · 21/03/2006 09:05

this was truly horrific.Like you said i can't believe that anyone would be able to think up such horrific things never mind carry them out.
Reading through that report, a couple of questions came to mind.When they were dragged out of the car, why didn't the third girl phone the police there and then? And how come nobody at the hotel heard anything? Hotel walls are usually thin enough for you to hear next doors t.v.Surely somebody heard them screaming?
What a terrible thing as a parent- to know that not only is your child dead, but that they died terrified and in pain.

jellyjelly · 21/03/2006 09:07

I live in reading and this has been going on for such a long time. I read the details yesterday and it did sicken me, really felt for all of them. Dont know if the one was ok thast got shot in the head. I am glad that two out of the three survived but only by saying she was pregnant.

Kidstrack2 · 21/03/2006 09:08

yes have followed the story on the news, can't even think of ds doing something like that when older, although it happens, thats why i'm all for DNA being taken in mouth swabs when kids turn 14 at school. I hope this kinda idea would deter murders like this happening, because they will always be aware their DNA is on file

beatie · 21/03/2006 09:09

This story has been haunting me for days since I read more of the graphic details in the weekend paper. :(

I don't know how I'd feel if my son were one of the convicted. How do you begin to imagine one of your children growing up capable of that?

Piffle · 21/03/2006 09:20

It is alsmost but sadly not so, beyond belief.
The entire scenario, that mans belief that she had dobbed him in and assisted a rival, then hunting her and her friend down and doing those hideous fucking awful things that even animals would not contemplate.
To know your daughter died like that, to know your own flesh and blood committed the crime. I do not know which would be worse.
That girl who survived being shot in the head, the guts she must have sown as the only witness to this crime. I'm glad at least one of the convicted admitted his part in the crime and then helped secure all of the other convictions, to reduce the stress on that poor girl.
And as for what people hear through walls, I was seriously assaulted and screamed and screamed in my own house with neighbours who knew me. No one called the cops. People hate to get involved.
To think that these men would spare someone for being pregnant? Do not believe that for one minute

expatinscotland · 21/03/2006 09:25

HOw can people hear someone screaming and NOT call the police, Piffle? That amazes me about this country. That people would just stand by and do FA. How animalistic is that? I can't imagine someone hearing my daughter scream and doing nothing. That makes me truly sick.

Callisto · 21/03/2006 09:28

According to the news this am four out of the six men were on 'supervised' parole and meant to be watched by their parole officers. If they are known to be a risk (as was so horribly proven) why are they let out at all?

Callisto · 21/03/2006 09:31

I would call the police but I don't know if I would get involved to the extent of physically trying to stop a crime like this - I would be terrified of being raped, tortured and murdered too. I can't imagine that people heard what was going on and just ignored it.

alexsmum · 21/03/2006 09:33

didn't anyone do sociology a' level? this is the 'kitty genevese' phenomenon. In the 1950's a girl called kitty genevese was murdered in new york(?) in a square surrounded by apartment blocks.It was a hot night so everyone had their windows open, and lots of people heard her screaming but noone called the police because they all thought someone else would do it.

alexsmum · 21/03/2006 09:34

if i was in the hotel and heard screaming i would run to reception and call police and get a few people and all go and bang on the door.

Callisto · 21/03/2006 09:35

I don't know, if I heard someone screaming in fear and agony I wouldn't hesitate to call the police. To me it is far better that they get twenty calls than none. I think New Yorkers are reknowned for their 'don't get involved' attitude.

expatinscotland · 21/03/2006 09:35

Same here, alex! I mean, that's someone's kid in there screaming! FFS, I'd have reacted that way even before I wasn't a mom. Have some sense of humanity, man.

speedymama · 21/03/2006 09:38

I wonder how the surviving girl will rebuild her life? She will be haunted by this for the rest of her life. As will Mary-Ann's family.

I too was wondering if anybody at the hotel heard anything? All the hotels I have been to have thin walls so surely the brutality of what they were doing would have been transmitted through the walls? The whole thing is so sickening.

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alexsmum · 21/03/2006 09:42

callisto, the thing is that this phenomenon is seen everywhere-everyone thinks someone else will take action.

alexsmum · 21/03/2006 09:44

and the girl that they left in the car? why didn't she phone the police?

Callisto · 21/03/2006 09:46

Really Alexmum? I didn't realise. Though I know with minor things people don't want to get involved 'cos they might be seen as busybodies, I would have thought that the sound of a girl being tortured would make anyone get help asap.

alexsmum · 21/03/2006 09:48

that's why they teach it at sociology a-level.

(like that's an indicator of anything!)

Callisto · 21/03/2006 09:51

Don't people ever think it is better for the police to have loads of calls than none? Very strange attitude to have isn't it?

alexsmum · 21/03/2006 09:53

yes.very.
i wouls always call the police and be told that i've made amistake rather than not phone and risk anything like this.
it's terrifying actually.

Caligula · 21/03/2006 09:56

This killing was horrific and for the first time has made me think the death penalty is in order.

mythumbelinas · 21/03/2006 10:03

This is horrible, but for how long has this area had this problem?? I lived on that road for the first couple years of my life!! mid 70's .. we moved to another part of Reading, then to London .. but i don't remember (too young) to know what the area was really like!

zephyrcat · 21/03/2006 10:22

I was born in Reading and lived there until I was 25 and from the time I was about 16 I knew soooo many people involved in the drug scene and can say it's been like that in Reading since then although has gotten progressively worse. Am very very glad that my children won't grow up in Rreading and worry sick about my 15 year old sister.

tiredemma · 21/03/2006 19:55

Alexmum- apparently the men booked a room in the annexe part of the hotel which was a room completly seperate from the rest of the hotel

WestCountryLass · 21/03/2006 20:55

I can't bear to think about what she went through :(

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