To be incensed by this - WARNING: UPSETTING CONTENT.

[Wowzrr]

How can this person be released on bail.

He got away with murder didn't he?

How could anyone believe his bullshit story?

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6483171/Millionaire-property-developer-40-ADMITS-battering-girlfriend-death.html#article-6483171

You sum up how I feel about it, concrete. Very sad for her child and family to have private details of her life aired to cobble together sordid view of her and how it was her fault she ended up dead. In reality she was brutally murdered, sexually degraded and probably thrown down the stairs like rubbish.

Quartz the judge instructed the jurors to find him not guilty of murder. The victim was murdered.
A murder charge is always tricky because the key/only witness is always dead.
I'm ashamed to be working in this profession sometimes, it is still a patriarchal institution and the misogyny is woven so deeply into the culture of it, I don't think it will ever change.

I thought theyd changed the law so that you couldnt consent to being hurt?? Loads of bdsm fanatics were up in arms about it

@Quartz2208 - is the manslaughter by gross negligence not suggesting that he was negligent in getting her help once she had been battered and received no medical attention?

Is it that he was negligent in considering her welfare when he was engaging in "their" sex act?

I understand your point about the difficulty in a successful murder charge - but the charge just implies that he was neglectful - not reactive enough. Rather than proactively battering her to death.

That's how I view it and particularly why it feels such a shocking verdict.

EG - medical professionals, managers of businesses etc could be found guilty of the same crime when they were being neglectful, rather than attacking a victim.

I agree with Quartz who gives a very clear explanation of why it was manslaughter and not murder - we might not like it but I think there is a very distinct risk he would not have been convicted of murder. The judge's comment on bail is a bit unclear but I had assumed that he was being told he was going to get a long custodial sentence so he ought to spend the bail term getting his affairs in order.

BlancheM yes in all likelihood he did intend to kill her in the moment - but premeditated I am not sure so proving that beyond all reasonable doubt is unlikely in this case - because all you need is that little bit of doubt and you cannot convict and if the jury did and the conviction would be overturned.

The key point is this:

the defendant's negligence was gross, that is, it showed such a disregard for the life and safety of others as to amount to a crime and deserve punishment.

I am not saying morally it is right - its just that within the confines of the legal system the judge was correct as long as he carries through with punishment he could give under this - which is life and no chance of parole for 18 years. That is far better than the jury being unable to convict on a murder charge.

Now if the judge gives a feeble sentence - yes I will be outraged and appalled

How would he prove that she has previously consented to this level of abuse? And surely she didn’t consent to a level of abuse that would kill her. It’s ludicrous that potentially having a thing for spanking can be used against you to the point where someone literally gets away with murder.

I read this yesterday and the horrific internal injuries jumped out at me. I’m not into s&m admittedly but I’d be shocked if anyone into that or not, would want to have internal injuries like that inflicted on them.

The way this woman’s death has been reported as offered her no dignity whatsoever. It’s disgusting, upsetting but not at all shocking unfortunately and one of the reasons many victims of sexual violence like myself don’t report their perpetrators to the police.

Btw my comment before isn’t me downplaying that beating she got. Just the internal injuries (chemical burns I believe) instantly made me think “sadistic murder” without the details of the beating. And no I don’t know why we need to know she was only wearing a skirt when she was found battered to death at the bottom of the stairs

It's a horrible horrible case but I agree that it is manslaughter and not murder. The postmortem found that she died from blunt force trauma and acute alcohol intoxication. A gynaecologist confirmed that there was no sign of the internal injuries being caused against her will. That will be very difficult for most of us to comprehend, but some women may be in to that.

There's no doubting he contributed to her death, but it can't be established that the injuries he inflicted were the main cause. He then failed to seek medical assistance when she was injured, hence the negligence element.

There's another case along the same principle, except that in this one there's no question that she consented to the sadistic behaviour.

www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/coroner-blasts-sadistic-partner-inflicting-2317836

Tara had 50 injuries when she died, but her death was in fact caused by cocaine overdose. He got 15 years for manslaughter.

The whole thing is disturbing, people can practice BDSM with a regard to safety so I find it hard to believe this was a consensual act of BDSM gone wrong. The phrasing dead as a doughnut is really disturbing to me too, perhaps the imagery is just too close to the detail of this one. Can’t believe he’s gotten away with it.

I just double checked and you CANNOT consent to actual bodily harm in the UK.

If you suffer damage from BDSM practices, then the other person can be prosecuted. There is no way that her "consent" over this should make any difference

E1y1

You have a point, but the wrong angle I think.

He’s not being protected by some conspiracy because he will generate tax income. He’s a property developer, if he dies tomorrow someone else will still develop that property and pay tax on it.

He’s being protected by having the wealth to employ expensive defence attorneys who increasingly seem to be using this “sex game gone wrong” as a defence for violent sexual abuse and murder.

I’m sure in some cases it’s a valid defence, I’m sure it happens sometimes. But I’m equally sure it’s a convenient defence in many of them.

You are correct on those points quartz I don't disagree when it comes to the legalities. But my point is this: the law is an ass.

I’m sure in some cases it’s a valid defence, I’m sure it happens sometimes

Nope never a valid defence.

You put your hands round someone’s neck you know the potential consequences.
You can’t consent to being murdered.

Bombardier I had thought the reason those injuries were not caused against her will was because she wouldn't have resisted thanks to being unconscious or dead. But then again I haven't looked into it and won't. I'm so uncomfortable at the level of detail made pubic. So undignified for the poor lady and her family.

And bombardier did you read that story you linked? Tara was terribly, terribly abused. She wasn't consenting to kinky sex for her own pleasure. She was in a domestically violet relationship.

Violent*

@calvinsmam

If you’re going to quote me then quote the whole sentence please.

Although that was probably poorly worded by me. Maybe “I’m sure some people are killed and injured in sex games gone wrong, but I’m sure it’s also used as a convenient defence”

I disagree I think the law is fine - I think its those who implent the law who are asses.

The fact that he pleaded guilty to manslaughter should not matter in terms of sentencing - the sentencing guidelines now mean that the sentence given for this is fine (life imprisonment up to 18 years served before parole)

It will be the judge who has faltered if he doesnt give the max sentence (or close enough) and from the comments I hope he does just that

I think men are getting away with murder as long as sex is involved. Girl died last week with internal injuries after bringing a stranger home for sex & drugs. The drugs killed her but no one questioned the injuries. Another case recently where a guy choked the girl after taking drugs & having sex. Who is to say the women even know the are taking drugs?

This is horrific! I understand that they may both have been into S&M, I get that they may have both have been off their faces on coke and alcohol but I cannot for one minute believe that he would not have known that it was getting out of hand and that she was in danger and was being severely injured by his actions. Maybe her family are 'ok' with him being out on bail because he's wedged and they will probably get a hefty pay out. The whole thing seems so wrong. Poor girl and poor daughter.

Sorry User I was probably a bit harsh there.

I knew what you meant.

It just makes me so frustrated and angry that a woman’s life can be so disposable that people can claim she was literally asking to be murdered.

It feeds into this myth that women secretly love a violent man or fid being hurt sexy. Porn has normalised really risky sexual behaviour and it makes me terrified for the young women in my life.

I vented in the wrong place there.

But quartz you said yourself that you don't think it's morally right, but that the judge can only work within the framework of the law. That's why I think the law is an ass (a few criminologists I work with frequently say this). They are outdated in many cases and only serve to validate misogyny (my opinion). Same with sentencing- people are always outraged at that pathetic sentences sometimes given for certain crimes but the judges' hands are tied in many cases as they can't legally give the number of years we would all like to see criminals rightly receive. Apart from when they can, in which case the outrage is justified.