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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Death Penalty for Bellfield

425 replies

Charlotte48 · 09/01/2019 19:42

Having watched Manhunt about the investigation into the evil paedophile; child killer; woman killer; woman abuser and beater, Levi Bellfield, I was just wondering if, after Brexit, we should restore the death penalty. Surely Bellfield should be executed.

OP posts:
BorisBogtrotter · 10/01/2019 08:58

The sympathy for the perpetrator line is strawman, haven't seen any expressing that, just that the death penalty is barbaric and has no place in modern justice system.

longwayoff · 10/01/2019 09:05

Re the utterly disgusting comment about the Guildford four, they would be hanged by you with no chance of clearing their names. Is that what you want? Hang anyone near to hand whether guilty of not? To what purpose?

Deadbudgie · 10/01/2019 09:07

No - but we should torture him to get any information out of him about all the scumbags he knows

CornishMaid1 · 10/01/2019 09:09

I do waiver with the death penalty.

I can see a place for it, but as a separate 'add on' system (although since it could be open to abuse that could be an issue).

There are too many issues with wrongful convictions to have it as an option and a system like America where the jury gets to decide is not a good system as it is too emotive and not logical.

However, if you have someone like Bellfield in prison for the rest of his life then the taxpayer has to fund him living for the rest of his life for no meaningful purpose. To that end, what is the point in him remaining alive. The 'he needs to live with what he did' is one argument, but he is a serial killer, so other than not being able to get out and commit more crimes, I very much doubt he is suffering from guilt.

BorisBogtrotter · 10/01/2019 09:10

"But we should torture him to get any information out of him about all the scumbags he knows"

Idiot.

BorisBogtrotter · 10/01/2019 09:11

Also keeping someone on death row, allowing the appeals, the legal aid etc costs far more than keeping someone in prison for life.

The justice system does not exist for revenge, and revenge is not justice.

Maldives2006 · 10/01/2019 09:13

Who would do the torturing? Torture has also been found collectively to be wholly inaccurate. Even in medieval England torture was very rarely used because of how unreliable it was.

Craft1905 · 10/01/2019 09:24

Tell me Greensleeves, what’s your definition of thick as mince?

If you have to ask, you're as thick as mince. HTH.

MichelleM30 · 10/01/2019 09:29

I used to be 100% for it in cases where dna evidence is so strong it could only really be that person that committed the crime.

However I do think that's an easy way out for them, they should suffer. However, that's my other issue, our prisons are too comfortable and they don't really suffer. They have a bed, food, tv and access to all sorts like education for a start 🙄 and they cost us taxpayers a lot of money to keep alive.

If there was an actual vote though I would have to go with yes to bringing it back.

Thesnobbymiddleclassone · 10/01/2019 09:33

The death penalty isn't a punishment. They just end and that's that. By being sentenced to life inside, they will spend each day having to face up to what they did and the pain of knowing they'll never be released.

That's much better.

longwayoff · 10/01/2019 09:36

Torture now? Christ on a bike, how thick are you? I have no words.

LowbrowVictoriana · 10/01/2019 09:37

I used to be 100% for it in cases where dna evidence is so strong it could only really be that person that committed the crime

Any type of evidence, DNA included, is liable to mishandling, misinterpretation, misapplication, inaccuracies, tampering, inadequately trained handlers... whether by accident or maliciously.
All evidence is handled and interpreted by fallible human beings. Scientific evidence is not automatically irrefutable or infallible, but forms part of a bigger range of evidence.

SilverySurfer · 10/01/2019 09:57

I am 100% against it. The UK is a civilised nation which it would no longer be if it introduced the death penalty.

BorisBogtrotter · 10/01/2019 10:14

Yeah the Maguire 7 were convicted based on scientific evdience.

Turns out that it was incorrect.

StreetwiseHercules · 10/01/2019 10:14

“No - but we should torture him to get any information out of him about all the scumbags he knows”

An evil view.

InfiniteCurve · 10/01/2019 10:18

I'm sure the thread has moved on from the Brexit link but if staying in the EU means we continue to be a civilised society without the death penalty then yep,let's stay in Europe.

Charlotte48 · 10/01/2019 10:22

I should not have linked Brexit with this thread - I except they are not related. Both my husband and I voted to leave the EU and he is an accountant with a degree and other qualifications so take offence that Brexiteers are considered to be thick! However, I do believe (and I may be wrong!) that the EU or Court of Human Rights said it was "unlawful" under Human Rights law for prisoners to be kept in prison without any chance of parole so I suspect at some stage Bellfield will campaign to be released.Will Bellfield die in prison or will liberal lawyers get him out? John Worboys was given a whole life sentence and yet the the parole board recommended him for release. He should also die in prison. If there was a guarantee that such people would die in prison then I would probably not support the death penalty even though with DNA mistakes are less likely. My other point is that the prison system is far too soft - as others have mentioned Bellfield takes drugs in prison. He has changed his name to Yusuf Rahim and converted to Islam so he can get the protection of Muslim inmates and better food!

OP posts:
BlancheM · 10/01/2019 10:25

Michelle don't believe what the papers would have you think about prison life. Prison is shit. Even for the kids on drug charges which make up the majority of inmates, it is beyond shit. Prisoners in for life for murder and other serious charges aren't sat watching TV and playing games consoles, they have had their liberty taken away (the aim of locking people up in the first place). Living it large on the taxpayer gets people revved up and frothing, doesn't mean it's true.

Charlotte48 · 10/01/2019 10:26

And another point about Bellfield - he "confessed" to a number of murders he hadn't committed - like Lynn and Megan Russell - to taunt the victims and when sentenced for the Milly Dowlier he refused to leave his cell - he should have been forced to face the judge.

OP posts:
Patroclus · 10/01/2019 10:27

The EU has fuck all to do with the Euro court of human rights. Why in the name of hell did you vote when you dont know this? this is why people are fucking furious.

BlancheM · 10/01/2019 10:28

Charlotte with respect, you're mistaken. The European Union and the Court of Human Rights, under the Council of Europe are entirely different bodies. Many PPs have pointed the difference out to you.

mumof2andstillsurviving · 10/01/2019 10:29

@Sillybilly1234 put him on a diet 😂

FissionChips · 10/01/2019 10:36

he is an accountant with a degree and other qualifications so take offence that Brexiteers are considered to be thick!

Then why don’t you know the difference between the EU and ECHR?

BorisBogtrotter · 10/01/2019 10:44

"Then why don’t you know the difference between the EU and ECHR?"

This and other things always make me laugh, getting indignant at being called thick, and then saying ignorant things that demonstrate your lack of understanding and the fact that you haven't even done the most basic research into your opinions.

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 10/01/2019 11:08

You’re ignorance for someone who claims to be intelligent shows up the whole referendum for the depressing shitstorm it has become