Southport killer in court tomorrow

[bossybloss]

Just been announced he is to appear in court tomorrow.

"It's not no but it's a discussion."

The "discussion" is mainly based around people not understanding the uk criminal justice system and crying out to know why, demanding or expecting answers and pleas and god knows what else.

It whips people up in to a frenzy and it doesn't help.

Usually based on tv dramas and shit they've seen plastered across social media. Dare to point that out and you're told to "be kind".

We won't find out anything at all. Something like 'the person confirmed their name and address' (or maybe they didn't even do that) they will be remanded in custody/a secure unit/similar with a trial date to be set for 2025. That'll literally be it.

Which can only be a good thing. I am totally mortified that some people feel that my intentions were negative. I do have a basic understanding of the court system and obviously did not expect a full court hearing today! I am not that ill informed but welcome the discussion.A little kindness and empathy goes a long way! ( and yes I know the be kind movement is somewhat crass!).

Thinking of the families of the children and the police, prison staff and Kurt staff who will be dealing with a really stressful and potentially dangerous situation today.

They might do video link as in pp

So many people posting know nothing about our criminal justice system.Thats frightening! There is no detailed court case put together yet! It’s just establishing that a future hearing will be heard and in what court. There will probably be reporting restrictions as accused is 17. Let Justiice take its course.

You don’t think we need a call to action?

You don’t think that there is an urgency to stopping knife crime, killing women and children, race tension, abysmal mental health support and extremism?

Is a court appearance and a sentencing to a prison or hospital prison enough for this crime, then afterwards we’ll all remember this for 5 mins in a year’s time?

The riots are doing no one any favours. However, once it comes out why he did this, we can’t just wait for the next massacre. Somethings got to change. This can’t happen again.

I do not want to know why, it will not explain anything to me. This has echoes of the Nottingham student area murders. MH seems to explain away anything, except it really doesn’t does it.

Frightening? not really. The majority of us are law abiding citizens and have never had to deal with or work out The Criminal Justice System.

I suspect due to the severity of the crime he will loose the right to anonymity at some point but not until sentenced. He might even be 18 by then.

The question of why is impossible to answer at the moment. I have my own thoughts on that but guessing we can't write things that speculate. It's just so desperately sad and horrifying.

“Chief Constable of Merseyside Police Serena Kennedy said: "Whilst these charges are a significant milestone within this investigation, this remains very much a live investigation and we continue to work with our partners from Lancashire Police and counter-terrorism police in the North West."

Is this just normal procedure, or has the Chief Con just slipped up in the last sentence?

It is perfectly normal for the police to try and investigate crimes. Although the last government did try and reduce that dramatically by defunding the police and criminal justice system.

There are usually 10 points that can be reported from a first magistrates court appearance. In this case there are less, as the defendant’s identity is anonymous due to his age.

Usually, it’s:
Name, age, address, charge, place of hearing, names of justices, bail arrangements, date & place of future hearings and whether legal aid was granted.

Media reports may include extra details like what he was wearing, if the victim’s families attended, and other colour from the court but they can’t say anything about the defendant and his motives.

What do you mean? What doesn't mental health explain?

That’s because some of us are in Scotland and have our own legal system 😉

if someone has psychosis or schizophrenia they are out of touch with reality, they hallucinate, they are delusional, paranoid, see things, hear things the list of symptoms goes on. Mental health doesn’t always explain it no but if they are mentally unwell they aren’t in touch with reality and that can affect things as such, reactions, thoughts, impulses etc. what he did is in excusable and those poor parents I wouldn’t like to think of what they are going through but mental health is more complex than people think.

if he is a drug user too (not saying he is or isn’t) but for example he smokes cannabis or does cocaine etc this can send someone of his age into psychosis it can even trigger schizophrenia when kids and young adults take drugs it massively impacts their mental health and can trigger these mental disorders because their brains are still developing.

I really feel for the parents because it’s just an awful awful thing for them 😔

I wonder what his parents are thinking and feeling too, as a parent of 4 children I couldn’t even begin to imagine how they feel knowing my child did such an awful sick thing.

It'll just be a plea hearing.

There will not be any information revealed at all.

@Dogondoolally It is frightening when people are incapable of reading about how those accused of a crime, when 17, will be dealt with. Instead we have American crime drama scenarios! It’s clear what happens and we won’t hear any detail. With likely reporting restrictions you won’t get a name. They will just say the accused confirmed his name. Baying for answers won’t get anywhere. Obviously mental health will be assessed. Again, we cannot guess about that either.

When the final judgement has been dominated, the judge might lift reporting restrictions. As was the case with recent teen murderers of Brianna. We shall see. But baying by the public won’t be taken into account right now.

Obviously we don’t want anyone murdered and we cannot know what’s gone wrong here and who, if anyone, could have stopped it. We don’t entirely know background, or health or this persons life details. If we need to be more robust in some ways regarding mental health and danger to the public, let the government consider it. We don’t know anything yet.

He may not even offer a defence when his trial starts. That's if he ever has a trial.

I think there will be psychiatric reports and he'll be deemed unfit to plead.

He'll go to Broadmoor or Ashworth.

Totally off topic but I love the Not Proven verdict in Scottish Law because afaik it basically means 'We're damn sure you did it but unfortunately we can't quite technically prove it'.

I mean I totally understand why human rights activists hate it and it's not used much anymore but in certain circumstances it's such a useful fallback when a total scumbag might otherwise get off scot free.

@CantDealwithChristmas totally agree with you! Those legal bods of old who came up with it must have known they could make use of it themselves!😂

Everyone in the area knows who he is. He was expelled from school for carrying a knife.