Man "snaps' and kills wife, sentenced to 5 years

[snowballer]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-56109330

This is just so depressing. I understand it couldn't be shown to be premeditated and therefore murder, but how can it be such a short sentence in view of the fact she was found with keys in hand trying to escape and it wasn't therefore something that happened in the space of a few seconds? Manslaughter sentences can still be hefty - I just can't understand this. Just another devastating end of a life for a woman at the hands of a man, with another miserably short sentence for the perpetrator. Awful. Just awful.

Apparently Harriet Harman is going to write to the attorney general.

Does it really matter what the transcripts say? The man killed his wife. He killed a person, not by accident but by intent. You don't accidentally strangle someone with your bare hands. No mental issue should give a person free rein to take someone else's life.

Women's lives are constantly trivialised by courts. You just need to compare the college rape case in the US where the man got 6 months to the sentences handed to women for false accusations of rape - they can get 3-10 years (google it). That's more than this man who killed his wife. Why?

@k1233
Because as with everything in my life, I want the full facts before I make any decisions. I’m pretty sure I know what I’ll think. But even so.
But that’s my personal view.

If it of any consolation, it is highly likely that he'll be moved to a secure unit under a hospital order. If his mental health doesn't improve, then his hospital order will be longer than his custodial sentence.

Just dreadful.

And that survey has bloody wound me up as well. Why were the top support organisations at the end aimed at men?

@k1233 it matters what the transcripts say as they will contain a sentencing rationale.

@CallmeIT
I did the survey ages ago and as far as I remember it was because they were in an alphabetical list. Not in order of importance which would be mad for anyone to do

If he really was so worried about 'running out of money' why did he kill his wife and not himself?, could it be that he didnt want to share 'his' money?

And yeah, that poor woman got to the front door with her keys in her hand, she must have been so so scared, 'gentle giant' my arse!

@BananaPop2020 @k1233
Exactly, I think it’s best if we do see the sentencing transcript.

If it’s some judge who’s a misogynist, then I want the world to see it. If it shows us a rational reason to how the sentence was given - then I also want to see that!

Too wound up to notice that Marina! Thanks

I’m shocked you are surprised by this verdict. Life is cheap in the U.K. whether man, woman or child. Start reading about other lockdown deaths also ruled as manslaughter. There are killers who have had no sentence at all for killing children. And yet you’re shocked the killer of a woman gets five years.

@Marinaloves

I’m not defending him but have any of you seen the transcripts of the trial or the judges statement If not, then this reaction should wait. None of us actually know what the jury heard or saw to make them come to this conclusion.

Quite. Unless you were on the jury or watched the case throughout then you don't know the full picture.

I cannot believe he only got 5 years.

Apparently he snapped after she told him to 'get over it'. An offence by her punishable by death apparently

‘Just snapped’ how is it possible to accidentally strangle your other half whilst they’re walking through the front door...?

Counting Dead Women

kareningalasmith.com/counting-dead-women/

Shocking.

@PensionsYes

‘Just snapped’ how is it possible to accidentally strangle your other half whilst they’re walking through the front door...?

Not just accidentally strangle, but accidentally strangle with sufficient force to break bones in her neck 🤬

@MajesticWhine

How can this sentence be reviewed? Is there a mechanism or anything we can do?

Yes, you can email the Attorney General’s office and call for a Sentence Review.

Give the name of the convicted, the date of conviction and the court.

E mail address; [email protected]

This

janegilmore.com/ - Fixed It

I think we need to rethink how we look at diminished responsibility for murder and other violent crimes. Yes, of course some killings happen as a result of psychosis for which the person is not responsible - but there is so much emphasis (in peoples mind) on the idea that if you "snap and kill" someone "in an instant" this is a sign that it is less intentional than "premeditated" murder. This massively works in mens favour in cases of partner violence since an abusive man can kill his female partner very quickly/unthinkingly. Sometimes in a matter of seconds. On the other hand women/girls, even those mentally traumatised by years of abuse, who kill their (larger) partner will normally appear to have planned it in some way. So the knee jerk reaction from the public and justice system is that they are completely culpable.

www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2019/jan/12/intimate-partner-violence-gender-gap-cyntoia-brown

[quote ImAllOut]Timely reminder to complete this survey for those who may not have already
www.gov.uk/government/consultations/violence-against-women-and-girls-vawg-call-for-evidence[/quote]
Just to highlight this again!

Thank you @ImAllOut, I have just filled this in.

That's an excellent point namitynamechange.

@namitynamechange
Interesting article. Perhaps violence/strength in men is so normalised that we can easily see someone “flipping” when in reality it takes a very long time to strangle someone to death. Which is what always worries me

This makes me feel like crying. In five years (or possibly less time with parole), he will be free to get on with his life. Absolutely tragic & unjust. I try to explain this issue to men friends, they have no idea what it’s like to be in fear of your life. For most men, they never experience domestic violence or feeling scared of the person who you are meant to trust the most.

It only takes one person to write to the Attorney General, under the unduly lenient sentencing arrangements, in order for the sentence to be referred for review.

www.gov.uk/ask-crown-court-sentence-review

@Marinaloves violence in men is totally normalised and remains culturally acceptable, whatever we might say to the contrary. I work in Criminal Justice and the sheer number of men who commit acts of intimate partner violence is staggering. The same applies to indecent image offences - and it cuts across all sectors of society.