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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Penelope jackson guilty of murder

407 replies

Thomasina79 · 29/10/2021 16:51

I’ve been following this news item with interest. She is the woman who stabbed her violent and coercive and bullying husband to death after 20 years of torment. She denied murder, but admitted manslaughter.

Am I being unreasonable in thinking the jury should have not found her guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. Murder carries a life sentence in prison and I cannot see that that there is anything to gain by locking her away.

OP posts:
saraclara · 29/10/2021 21:52

@AICM

Clearly misandry is a problem.
This is Mumsnet. The man is always to blame. Or his mother is.

This thread takes it to a whole new, and very disturbing level though.

saraclara · 29/10/2021 21:53

@LittleDandelionClock

I can see way more people on here agreeing that the woman is a dreadful person and definitely a murderer. I see very few people defending Penelope Jackson.
They might be in the minority, but they're not 'very few'.
BiLuminous · 29/10/2021 21:54

@AICM

Clearly misandry is a problem.
Is it misandry, or is it that men are so often the victims of DA and murders that we find it hard to process? Look up CountingDeadWomen on Twitter for example, you will see just how many women have been murdered by men in this year alone.

I don't think it's wilful misandry, just something that we find harder to believe because we see the opposite so often.

I personally believe Penelope was the abusive one and very calculated about it too, which is what has cast the doubt over it for many people.

BiLuminous · 29/10/2021 21:54

women*

x2boys · 29/10/2021 21:54

It' is disturbing

Dojacatpaws · 29/10/2021 22:25

Men and women are not physically equal in most cases, I tend to believe its usually the man who abuses

NewUser2021 · 29/10/2021 22:26

I haven't read the full thread, but I have seen the video footage of her arrest. I was quite amazed by her really. So cold about it all. She definitely meant to kill him and there was no remorse. She stated she hoped she'd done the job well enough.

Definitely murder, and she said so herself on the camera footage.

saraclara · 29/10/2021 22:32

No-one wants to believe that 'someone like us' (even if it's as global as 'any woman' is capable of such a thing. I dare say most men feel that way too, when they read about abuse and murder carried out by those of their sex (which is of course much more frequent).

But we can't let it make us incapable of objectivity and reason. And this seems to be what's happening with some posters. They don't want to believe it, so they refuse to see it.
I'm still stunned by the poster who assumed that the judge was incapable of advising the jury impartially because he's a man. I mean...c'mon.

sweeneytoddsrazor · 29/10/2021 22:39

Men and women are not physically equal in most cases, I tend to believe its usually the man who abuses

It may be true that more men than women are abusers, but as male victims are very reluctant to come forward the extent of women abusers is not well known . They also don't have to be physically equal. A woman can inflict plenty of damage, especially if the man doesn't fight back, many abused men will not fight back for many reasons including because they don't believe in using violence against women,, they are embarrassed, they are scared of then being portrayed as the abuser.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 29/10/2021 22:44

This is Mumsnet. The man is always to blame. Or his mother is
This thread takes it to a whole new, and very disturbing level though

Doesn't it just? Hmm
Even down to the mention that the judge was a man, conveniently ignoring that 8 out of 12 jurors were women (perhaps because it would have spoiled the point?)

LongBeanTime · 29/10/2021 22:46

@Dojacatpaws

Physicality is not a determining factor, it could be argued that abusive women are more likely to use a weapon.

Aggression being another factor.

You would be surprised at the amount of 'big strong men' that are physically abused by women.

And then there is the psychological.

Theluggage15 · 29/10/2021 22:50

It’s sad that so many of the people commenting on here clearly would not believe a man if he said he was being abused. Hope it never happens to one of their sons.

BreadPita · 29/10/2021 22:50

@LittleDandelionClock

I can see way more people on here agreeing that the woman is a dreadful person and definitely a murderer. I see very few people defending Penelope Jackson.
This is AIBU and there is a poll which doesn't agree with what you're saying. I suspect that it's because there is no "defence" so they're bit posting one. A majority of users just don't think there's any problem with a woman murdering a man she found annoying.
saraclara · 29/10/2021 22:53

@Puzzledandpissedoff

This is Mumsnet. The man is always to blame. Or his mother is This thread takes it to a whole new, and very disturbing level though

Doesn't it just? Hmm
Even down to the mention that the judge was a man, conveniently ignoring that 8 out of 12 jurors were women (perhaps because it would have spoiled the point?)

This thread is feeding into the misogynist trope that women are irrational.

Noe THAT'S the really depressing thing.

saraclara · 29/10/2021 22:53

Ugh. Noe=Now

LongBeanTime · 29/10/2021 22:58

@saraclara

The comments by the quoted poster are irrational. How can that be an example of misogyny?

Are women beyond irrationality?

LongBeanTime · 29/10/2021 23:00

The only examples of sexism in this discussion have been misandrist.

saraclara · 29/10/2021 23:02

[quote LongBeanTime]@saraclara

The comments by the quoted poster are irrational. How can that be an example of misogyny?

Are women beyond irrationality?[/quote]
I said this thread is feeding into that trope.

I hate it when women's views are sidelined by men claiming that women are irrational. But any man seeing the vote result and many posts here would be forgiven for feeling proved right.

Of course women aren't beyond irrationality. They're also not beyond committing murder. But some women on this thread (and the majority who voted) seem to think that this one was, when all the evidence points to the opposite.

Suzanne999 · 29/10/2021 23:03

I thought more manslaughter than murder —- she snapped, picked up a knife. It doesn’t sound as if she planned to kill him that night.
Having once been married to an abusive man ( I walked) there were many times I wished he’d die.. Not nice, I’m not proud of it but living with a man who mentally abuses week after week is horrendous.

saraclara · 29/10/2021 23:03

@LongBeanTime

The only examples of sexism in this discussion have been misandrist.
Exactly my point.
LongBeanTime · 29/10/2021 23:06

@saraclara

I think I misunderstood your first post.

tarasmalatarocks · 29/10/2021 23:06

If anyone is standing up for this absolute psychopath then give your head a wobble— this was not a poor couple with a woman with’no options’ —it was a woman who could quite easily have cashed in and walked away if she was that unhappy.

saraclara · 29/10/2021 23:08

[quote LongBeanTime]@saraclara

I think I misunderstood your first post.[/quote]
No problem! Glad we've ironed things out.

Ibizafun · 29/10/2021 23:10

Sorry have not read whole thread so apologies, but surely if the verdict wasn’t murder that could set a precedence for anyone to murder their spouse claiming they were coercive/abusive?

coronabeer · 29/10/2021 23:18

Woman was on her fourth marriage, having driven her previous husband to suicide. She could have left her husband, she didn't need to kill him.

She didn't "just snap", she stabbed her husband again whilst he was on the phone calling for an ambulance, having already been stabbed once.