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

[SherbetVodka]

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

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?

Has everyone who's written to the attorney general had a response? I haven't had any acknowledgment of my email (sent early yesterday afternoon) and am wondering if that means it hasn't gone through.

I wish Id never read this :( My ds has aspergers.

Words fail me.

Sherbet, have you seen the sticked MN thread about a guest blog post, it is at the top of active conversations.

It is about the need for a specific offence of disability hate crime;

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/bloggers/1714497-Guest-blog-yes-we-do-need-a-specific-offence-of-disability-hate-crime

I got an email response pretty quickly after I emaled them, ab0ut 10 minutes later.

I saw this article a few days ago and was crying for 15 minutes after reading it

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This is awful. Not only are there people in the world sick enough to do something like this, but they practically get away with it too.

My son has Downs Syndrome and I agree with the other posters who say this just makes you want to keep them close and protect them from the vile world we live in.

Yes midori, my autistic son is theoretically high functioning enough to possibly live independantly one day, because of things like this case, I am loathe to let that happen.

My DS is vulnerable in the sense that if someone tried to write Gayboy on him, or intentionally splattered him with something, he'd flatten them hard. He doesn't understand 'horseplay' unless it's with small relatives.
Would I rather visit him in prison for GBH or watch him die in agony in hospital?
No question.

I think that would be the reaction of my son if things got physical too TheNeb.

Him getting in serious trouble because some small minded cruel twat picks on him is a big concern.

All he wants is to be left alone.

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I don't watch TV, has it not been covered on national or regional news reports? does anyone know?

It was covered at the time the murder happened. I remember it clearly.

link to news item from when it happened

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I am pretty sure that their will be an appeal against the sentence and the judges summing up that the victim was enjoying the events of that evening; the judge obviously does not have the first clue.

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Hmm looks like my email just didn't go through properly then. I'll give it another go tomorrow. Really hope the sentence does get reviewed.

I've emailed too, it's a shockingly lenient sentence.

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