PC Harper killers sentenced

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

16 year and 13 year sentences.

I doubt they would have got much more if the murder charge had been successful.

I am glad to see the judge wasn’t convinced by their arguments.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-46544144

nicenames I agree, I think they should have been charged with murder.

Because I think they knew he was attached to the car and that was definitely them making a choice.

But a murder charge by current law would basically mean they would have had to tie him up to justify murder

@Frogsareawesome

nicenames I agree, I think they should have been charged with murder.

Because I think they knew he was attached to the car and that was definitely them making a choice.

But a murder charge by current law would basically mean they would have had to tie him up to justify murder

they were charged with murder

FarTooSkinny

They were charged with manslaughter

They're disgusting.

For some completely remorseless criminals (particularly those who repeatedly engage in violent behaviour), no sentence will ever be long enough. Such people are the reason I support the death penalty.

@Frogsareawesome

FarTooSkinny

They were charged with manslaughter

They were also charged with murder. And found not guilty by the jury.

No, @Frogsareawesome, they were charged with and on trial for murder, but we're found guilty of manslaughter.

@NeutrinoWrangler

They're disgusting.

For some completely remorseless criminals (particularly those who repeatedly engage in violent behaviour), no sentence will ever be long enough. Such people are the reason I support the death penalty.

Do you support the death penalty if someone is found not guilty of murder?

But not by a jury?

@Frogsareawesome

But not by a jury?

Do you understand why “charged” means?

They were acquitted of murder by the jury but found guilty of manslaughter. There is no way you can suggest the death penalty is appropriate for manslaughter.

A grotesque crime - and for what? A vehicle.

These people showed the true depth of their inhumanity not just by killing the officer, but by their behaviour during the trial. They really are vermin.

They were charged with murder but they were convicted of manslaughter. They were acquitted of murder by the jury.

They were acquitted of murder by the jury

Yes, pretty perversely in view of the evidence. How scared were the members of that jury?

The accused may have been unintelligent and poorly educated but they were supported by a community which was reported to have gone some way to perverting the course of justice, providing alibis, disposing of phones etc, and attempting to intimidate people into keeping schtum. Just like the McCann case mentioned by a pp.

If I’d been called to do jury service on this case (I’m relatively local to it) I’d have been absolutely bricking it. I’d have considered long and hard how to be excused from serving.

If they didnt receive the maximum sentence for manslaughter it makes me wonder what more you'd have to do to receive it.

They weren’t far off the maximum and the judge had to take into account their age and the fact that Long had already entered a guilty plea. The judge says that someone older than Long would have got a life sentence. Sentencing usually changes at 21 to longer terms.

This is a truly terrible case, it really is. It is very frustrating that some posters on this thread don’t seem to understand the FACTS of it though.

@HopeClearwater

They were acquitted of murder by the jury

Yes, pretty perversely in view of the evidence. How scared were the members of that jury?

The accused may have been unintelligent and poorly educated but they were supported by a community which was reported to have gone some way to perverting the course of justice, providing alibis, disposing of phones etc, and attempting to intimidate people into keeping schtum. Just like the McCann case mentioned by a pp.

If I’d been called to do jury service on this case (I’m relatively local to it) I’d have been absolutely bricking it. I’d have considered long and hard how to be excused from serving.

The judge clearly stated that there was no evidence of jury tampering. Do you have evidence to the contrary? Or are you speculating because you don’t like the result?

I don't know how the jurors can look at themselves in the mirror knowing the murdering bastards will be out in a few years.

@PinkSparklyPussyCat, it's not the fault of the jury that the prosecution was not able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

You don't know that they will be out in a few years; that depends on them being able to satisfy the Parole Board at the relevant time. It's also very easy to talk glibly about the sentences being "a few years", but think back to 2010 and before, and think about how long ten years actually is in reality.

@NeutrinoWrangler

They're disgusting.

For some completely remorseless criminals (particularly those who repeatedly engage in violent behaviour), no sentence will ever be long enough. Such people are the reason I support the death penalty.

So you support the death penalty for minors who have been found not guilty? That’s disgusting.

The fact that any poster here would remotely defend them, the justice system in this case or their ridiculously short prison sentence makes me so sad. They are the lowest of the low. How they were found innocent of murder is beyond me. My husband worked with him and his murder haunts me, I cannot imagine what his wife must go through every day.

I feel the judges hands were tied in their sentencing having read the statement and that is also a massive issue and this needs reform.

Its usual to serve about half of your sentence isnt it @Pobblebonk?

They all have to serve at least 2/3s of their sentence.

So really not that long at all then.

I hope his poor family are granted a re trial or those nasty scum admit they knew for the sake of his family.

I really don't see how that could happen. Victims have no right of appeal, and retrials when people have been acquitted are only allowed in very limited circumstances when compelling new evidence has come to light. I have no idea whether a retrial is even possible when someone has not been acquitted but has been convicted of a lesser offence, and I really can't see any new evidence coming to light unless one or more of them makes a full confession - which is obviously highly unlikely. The CPS would also have to take into account whether there is realistically anything to be achieved by a new trial, given that the sentences that have been passed probably aren't far short of the time these men would have to serve under life sentences.

Relatively speaking these ARE long sentences. Being parole eligible and actually getting parole are two entirely separate matters.