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Original poster

To think Lucy Letby should be made to attend court for the sentencing

641 replies

Viviennemary · 20/08/2023 22:06

I know there are other threads on this terrible case. But I just read she has refused to attend court for the sentencing which is to be on Monday morning. The judge said he does not have the power to force her to attend. Can't see she will ever be allowed out of prison. And rightly so.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
cushioncovers · 20/08/2023 23:05

Watermelon444 · 20/08/2023 23:04

It should be what the victims families want not what the defendant wants. If they want her there, she should be brought there, in the same way that if she decides she doesn’t want to serve her sentence she will still be made to serve it….

She. Is obviously trying to retain some power and control over the victims and this should not be allowed.

Agree

ThatDifficultOne · 20/08/2023 23:06

It makes no difference-the sentence will be the same whether she hears it at that point or later on, and she will obviously be told at some point so she can’t avoid it. We don’t need to know her reaction

Mojodojocasahaus · 20/08/2023 23:07

Out of interest does anyone know what happens if the person decided they didn’t want to attend court to stand trial ( where they are in custody?)

Hillcrest2022 · 20/08/2023 23:08

catin8oots · 20/08/2023 22:49

Are you saying prisoners shouldn't have any physical autonomy?

The nature of imprisonment is that individuals lose their physical automomy @catin8oots

Original poster
Viviennemary · 20/08/2023 23:08

I agree. Her wishes are irrelevant. I watched sky news and at least one family who lost twins said she should be there. She is the third killer who has refused to attend sentencing recently.

OP posts:
BarelyLiterate · 20/08/2023 23:09

She can’t be forced to go to court, because that would entail physically manhandling her. And if she is to be physically manhandled out of her cell & into the dock then the same would have to apply to huge, dangerously violent / psychotic men capable of inflicting serious injuries on guards.
And Letby can’t be coerced with sanctions. She is an intelligent woman who obviously knows she will be given a whole-life sentence tomorrow and that she will spend the foreseeable future in solitary confinement for her own protection, so she has nothing to gain by co-operating with the authorities.
The only way to force her to listen to sentencing is to broadcast it into her cell.

LaurelandHedgy · 20/08/2023 23:09

I can’t believe some of you would deny the victims families their right to deliver their impact statement, and look her in the eye when she’s sentenced to life for the murder of their children.

If she refuses, bring her up strapped to a board, and ragged, like Hannibal Lecter was.

She murdered our most vulnerable, premature babies. She’s inhumane. She deserves no consideration. If the families can take any solace from her being there, they should do what it takes to have LL there.

ginghamstarfish · 20/08/2023 23:10

Yes, she should be made to attend, manhandled if necessary. Same happened in another high profile case recently and I thought it unbelievable that the person should have a choice in the matter. If they cannot be physically dragged there then yes an increase in sentence for refusing to attend. Wtf? As if the UK justice system isn't crap enough already. I imagine in most countries there would be no option to refuse.

Tracker1234 · 20/08/2023 23:11

As Robert Buckland suggested. Leave her in the cell
but pipe the sentence and victim statements directly into her.

melj1213 · 20/08/2023 23:11

There definitely has to be some sort of punishment for not attending sentencing. Either a longer sentence, or (for people already facing life in prison) some sort of removal of privileges.

The problem with removal of privileges is that prisons need privileges as incentives - of you've got a 6ft 20st gang member who is looking at a 20yr sentence, if you tell them they will get no privileges and/or no way of earning them regardless of what they do during their sentence where is their incentive to behave? They're already in prison, the only leverage available are privileges ...

If they've got no privileges then they've got nothing to lose if they batter the shit out of a fellow inmate or an officer, but if they know they have earned XYZ by doing certain things and that can be taken away then they might think twice. It might sound trivial in the outside world but in prison it can be the small things that keep things from descending into riots.

StSwithinsDay · 20/08/2023 23:12

If she refuses, bring her up strapped to a board, and ragged, like Hannibal Lecter was.

Hannibal Lecter was a fictitious character in a film. This is not Hollywood.

Hillcrest2022 · 20/08/2023 23:12

@LaurelandHedgy sadly some people are forgetting that which is the important issue - the awful acts against such vunerable babies and the devastation caused to the families. Apparently her feelings are more important? Well, I won't subscribe to that sorry.

crew2022 · 20/08/2023 23:12

It's a last bit of power to refuse to listen to the pain she's caused.
I would not want to give her any more time or attention over this.
You can't force defendants to listen even if they attend. Maybe if they are ever eligible to apply for parole / release on license then they could be forced to work through the victim impact statements as part of their rehab at a later date. But for those with whole life tariff then that's pointless.

minou123 · 20/08/2023 23:13

Mojodojocasahaus · 20/08/2023 23:07

Out of interest does anyone know what happens if the person decided they didn’t want to attend court to stand trial ( where they are in custody?)

Provided there is legitimate reason they cannot attend, for example health reasons, then the trial will go ahead without thier attendance.

A lot of hoops will be jumped through first, but essentially you can't stop a trial if you choose not to attend.

melj1213 · 20/08/2023 23:15

Watermelon444 · 20/08/2023 23:04

It should be what the victims families want not what the defendant wants. If they want her there, she should be brought there, in the same way that if she decides she doesn’t want to serve her sentence she will still be made to serve it….

She. Is obviously trying to retain some power and control over the victims and this should not be allowed.

But ironically the fact you think she should be forced to be present just shows that she does have power and control - if the families need her to be there to feel that justice is done then it shows that they are still allowing her to control the situation ... If they read out their statements to the court, allow the sentencing to go ahead and just ignore the fact the dock is empty it takes the power away from her - it doesn't matter if she is physically present, they have still got justice by seeing her found guilty and knowing that she will be locked up for a very long time

HeddaGarbled · 20/08/2023 23:16

No. The sort of people who get themselves allow themselves to get worked up about this sort of thing are the sort of people who would go to public executions if they could.

Put your pitchfork down, step away from the baying mob and try and find the civilised, rational, humane, better person hiding away deep inside yourself.

Dramatic · 20/08/2023 23:16

Hillcrest2022 · 20/08/2023 23:12

@LaurelandHedgy sadly some people are forgetting that which is the important issue - the awful acts against such vunerable babies and the devastation caused to the families. Apparently her feelings are more important? Well, I won't subscribe to that sorry.

I'll probably get lynched for this, but there I have a small nagging feeling that the jury may have got it wrong.

BeverleyMacker · 20/08/2023 23:17

Absolutely. The needs to be dragged by her hair. How dare she call the shots!! 😡😡😡

HRTQueen · 20/08/2023 23:17

I can absolutely understand the families want to see her when the sentence is given they want to see her realise that she will be locked up for many many years possibly (I would hope so) for the rest of her life

But dealing with someone who will not cooperate, that becomes scared/angry tries their best to escape, shouts, screams, kicks out is very distressing. You do not just look and think well the deserve it the atmosphere changes it sets of your physiological response of fright/flight/freeze and this can create more distress. Who knows what she might say/do and then of course there is the risk involved

I think for the families this just isn’t needed

melj1213 · 20/08/2023 23:18

ginghamstarfish · 20/08/2023 23:10

Yes, she should be made to attend, manhandled if necessary. Same happened in another high profile case recently and I thought it unbelievable that the person should have a choice in the matter. If they cannot be physically dragged there then yes an increase in sentence for refusing to attend. Wtf? As if the UK justice system isn't crap enough already. I imagine in most countries there would be no option to refuse.

And how exactly do you increase a life sentence, especially if it is a whole life tariff?

Insommmmnia · 20/08/2023 23:21

BeverleyMacker · 20/08/2023 23:17

Absolutely. The needs to be dragged by her hair. How dare she call the shots!! 😡😡😡

And how do you think the officers who go home at night will feel after being forced to drag a woman in by her hair?

Or do their feelings not matter as long as the braying mob is appeased with its bread and circuses?

NoTouch · 20/08/2023 23:21

If she wont attend then let the parents go to her cell with the judge and tell her there.

I know that isn't practical either. But I feel so sorry for the parents that she has any control and is able to take away them witnessing justice being served upon her. It will be a big milestone for them in the horrific journey they are still on.

iamwhatiam23 · 20/08/2023 23:23

LaurelandHedgy · 20/08/2023 23:09

I can’t believe some of you would deny the victims families their right to deliver their impact statement, and look her in the eye when she’s sentenced to life for the murder of their children.

If she refuses, bring her up strapped to a board, and ragged, like Hannibal Lecter was.

She murdered our most vulnerable, premature babies. She’s inhumane. She deserves no consideration. If the families can take any solace from her being there, they should do what it takes to have LL there.

She killed their kids!!! I really don't think she will give a shit about the hurt it has caused them and their families!! In fact she may even get a sick thrill from it!

OhcantthInkofaname · 20/08/2023 23:25

If it was in the Southern US she would go.

LaurelandHedgy · 20/08/2023 23:26

Hannibal Lecter was a fictitious character in a film. This is not Hollywood.

Was he really?