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AIBU?

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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

To think that only 3 and a half years for this is beyond belief

94 replies

SherbetVodka · 21/03/2013 18:36

I just read this news article [WARNING FROM MNHQ: upsetting content] and cannot BELIEVE that the evil little shit that did this has only got 3 1/2 years. Some people get more than this for ABH for fucks sake Shock

Even if it was genuinely manslaughter as opposed to murder, surely he could serve a few more years for what was clearly a sadistic, disgusting crime. He will probably not even have to serve the whole of his sentence and the message he and people like him will have got from the courts is that you can terrorise and torture someone with learning disabilities, even kill them and you'll only have to do a couple of years inside at most :(

I just can't believe this. It's such a sad story, the poor young man who was killed had autism and a speech impediment and had already been forced to move home because of bullying and was very vulnerable by the sound of it. All he wanted to do was celebrate his birthday like any other 18 year old. He was doing no harm to anyone. How can people be this cruel?

OP posts:
landofsoapandglory · 21/03/2013 22:05

It's sickening. How can anyone justify giving someone 3.5 years for killing someone? That poor boy.Sad

thezebrawearspurple · 22/03/2013 00:10

Sickening. How on earth was this not prosecuted as a hate crime????

IneedAsockamnesty · 22/03/2013 01:10

Some sentences handed out make no sense at all.

Surely the lad being more vulnerable due to autism should load more time onto the sentence.

And as to the homophobe comment given how many bigoted thick people there are around who tend to gravitate towards other bigoted people its unlikely that being a homophobe will cause him to have problems.

IneedAsockamnesty · 22/03/2013 01:14

And I'm with amber on this the vile person who did this is not that different from the kids today who regularly abuse my children because they are disabled he is just a bit older.

Perhaps next time a colluding parent gets asked to deal with there precious obnoxious child because they are victimising a disabled child they may think along the lines of there precious doing something like this in a decade or so and rather than smiling and brushing the behaviour under the carpet it may prompt them to actually stop the behaviour and highlight just how wrong it is.

izzyizin · 22/03/2013 03:40

As it would appear the sentence handed down is unduly lenient it's to be hoped that, if the DPP haven't already set the wheels in the motion, the Attorney General will refer this case to the Court of Appeal.

AmberLeaf · 22/03/2013 08:24

Surely the lad being more vulnerable due to autism should load more time onto the sentence

You would think so wouldn't you?

Sadly that part of it appears to have been totally overlooked by the judge.

ohmentalnessisme · 22/03/2013 09:22

What a joke that sentence is! It's like his life was worth less than a nt person's Sad how the fuck was that not murder?!

IThinkOfHappyWhenIThinkOfYou · 22/03/2013 09:35

You can write to the attorney general and ask for the sentence to be looked at. I did that once before (it was Baroness Scotland at the time) and the sentence was increased. (Lots of other people wrote too, it wasn't just me.) You can't change a sentence because you don't like it but it can be increased if the judge hasn't taken mitigating factors into account or if it is simply unduly lenient.

AmberLeaf · 22/03/2013 09:39

Where would I find the details of who to write to IThink?

AmberLeaf · 22/03/2013 09:43

www.gov.uk/government/people/dominic-grieve

Ive found the current attorney general, but I cant find an address to write to him?

IThinkOfHappyWhenIThinkOfYou · 22/03/2013 09:43

has to be done within 28 days of sentencing

OnceUponAThyme · 22/03/2013 09:43

this terrifies me. I can only imagine how his family must feel Sad

kweggie · 22/03/2013 09:44

If you are upset about this,and the lenient sentence, PLEASE contact your Member of Parliament and tell them-you can email them through 'They work for you'. I can't think of many issues more important than this. Poor poor boy.

SolomanDaisy · 22/03/2013 09:45

I thought that anything with a hate crime element was supposed to have additional sentencing for that element? Whether there was a disability hate crime element or not, there was certainly evidence of homophobia.

I am Shock, that someone can describe being known as a homopohobic idiot as his life sentence. Bit of minimisation there? His reputation will hopefully be that of a murderous bully, which is hardly a life sentence anyway, is it?

AmberLeaf · 22/03/2013 10:00

The Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP
The House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

AmberLeaf · 22/03/2013 10:02

Cross posted.

Thanks IThink.

kweggie · 22/03/2013 10:24

[email protected]

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 22/03/2013 10:46

Courts do have the power to look at the surrounding circumstances and take them into account during sentencing for example

s146 Criminal Justice Act 2003
146Increase in sentences for aggravation related to disability or sexual orientation.

(1)This section applies where the court is considering the seriousness of an offence committed in any of the circumstances mentioned in subsection (2). .
(2)Those circumstances are? .
(a)that, at the time of committing the offence, or immediately before or after doing so, the offender demonstrated towards the victim of the offence hostility based on? .
(i)the sexual orientation (or presumed sexual orientation) of the victim, or .
(ii)a disability (or presumed disability) of the victim, or .
(b)that the offence is motivated (wholly or partly)? .
(i)by hostility towards persons who are of a particular sexual orientation, or .
(ii)by hostility towards persons who have a disability or a particular disability. .
(3)The court? .
(a)must treat the fact that the offence was committed in any of those circumstances as an aggravating factor, and .
(b)must state in open court that the offence was committed in such circumstances. .
(4)It is immaterial for the purposes of paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (2) whether or not the offender?s hostility is also based, to any extent, on any other factor not mentioned in that paragraph. .
(5)In this section ?disability? means any physical or mental impairment.

I wonder how much weight was given to the homophobia and disabalist(sp?) attitude shown.

I do think the AG needs to look at this one.

ukatlast · 22/03/2013 11:05

YANBU What a disgrace of a judge!

TheChaoGoesMu · 22/03/2013 11:06

This is appalling. Desperately sad. The sentence is an absolute joke.

belfastbigmillie · 22/03/2013 11:10

I read this last night and both DH and I were in tears. That poor, poor boy. My feelings towards his murderer are not kind. Disability hate crimes are on the increase. I blame the government/ Daily Mail/ You tube society we now live in.

AmberLeaf · 22/03/2013 11:39

Please consider contacting the attorney general and asking him to review the sentence.

www.gov.uk/complain-about-low-crown-court-sentence

How to complain

Contact the Attorney General?s Office as soon as possible after the sentence is passed. The time limit for making a complaint is 28 days after sentencing.

Provide as much information as you can about the case, eg the:

name of the person who got the sentence Jordan Sheard
date the sentence was given 21st march 2013
court where the case was held sheffield crown court
crime committed Manslaughter

AmberLeaf · 22/03/2013 11:40

Sorry, live link below.

www.gov.uk/complain-about-low-crown-court-sentence

Original poster
SherbetVodka · 22/03/2013 11:44

Thank you Amber, I'm going to use that link to make a complaint and will also contact my MP. Hope lots of other people will do the same.

OP posts:
AmberLeaf · 22/03/2013 11:53

You're welcome Sherbet, I'm going to do it right now.