Sentence too lenient?

[NamelessNancy]

Apologies if I've missed another thread on this but I couldn't see one.

A man found to be responsible for the death of his partner has been given a two year suspended sentence. He left her in a bath full of scalding water for ten minutes despite her pleas for help. He then left her on a bed with the third degree burns she sustained over 30% of her body for six hours. Again, he did not seek any help for her even when she said she thought she was going to die. Apparently with prompt help she may have been saved.

Anyone else wonder what the sentencing judge was thinking ?

Link here (if I can make it work!)Guardian article about the case

Not a lot of detail in the article. I assume she ran the bath herself and got into it? I assume he was seen as not able to make a rational decision due to alcohol? Hopefully it will be reviewed.

The article said that HE ran the bath and helped her into it.

She was drunk and couldn't get out. I don't know if he was drunk too but he has been ordered to take part in alcohol treatment.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1w16lwl08go.amp

"He helped her into a bath he had run for her on 9 August 2020. "

Gosh this is very upsetting. I wonder why the 'witness' who heard her beg for help didn't intervene. Unbelievable sentence.

I feel sick reading this. It often feels as if men can do whatever they like to women and get away with it.**

The article clearly states he ran the bath and put her in it. You need to read to the end.

Horrific case, he should be behind bars. She died after many hours of excruciating pain.

There's not a lot of detail being reported here or in other venues. But from what there is, it's clear this was a complex and unusual case. Both alcoholics, he seemed to have been her carer despite also being an alcoholic, a few have made mention of the bath "contributing" to her death and that she was also suffering from alcoholic ketoacidosis.

It's really impossible to say whether this is too lenient without being privy to all the details (which we're not, of course).

I wonder how this really came about and going by the neighbours remarks I very much doubt he was such a caring attentive partner as the court was saying. If he was he'd hardly of made her get in a bath, he ran, possibly up to 80 degrees warm fgs and left her calling for help in it then on a bed just because he didn't want anyone to see "the state of her".

He might have if he was drunk and his judgement was seriously impaired - that's the problem. One paper reported him going out at least twice to buy alcohol that day.

How awful, this poor woman. I can’t judge anything about the sentence however without knowing more about it.

It did take a long time for them to clarify that in the article and for me it was an important point.

Should drunk drivers avoided custodial sentences because their judgement was impaired by drink though? Absolutely agree we don't know all the detail but I think the facts we do know make a suspended sentence seem surprisingly lenient.

He's killed her then. She had no chance. That sentence is appalling

I agree. They don't say oh you're usually so caring but you got drunk and stabbed your wife to death this once.

A custodial sentence for drink driving is quite rare. In the majority of cases, a fine is issued or the offender is banned from driving, but not sent to prison.

Even if someone dies as a result?

That's a different offence - causing death by careless driving, which in all cases carries a possible maximum sentence of life.

Which is the same possible maximum sentence as gross negligence manslaughter which we're dealing with in this case.

Sentencing guidelines for gross negligence manslaughter are here for those interested: https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/crown-court/item/gross-negligence-manslaughter/

He almost certainly fell into category D.

Guidance on gross negligence manslaughter is here: https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/gross-negligence-manslaughter

I saw this article on the guardian app and felt like I needed to know more. Was she ill or disabled? If not how could she not get out if the bath? If this wasn't the case I feel like this possibly fits a pattern of abuse and this should have been looked into. But in the surface it does feel linient.

I'd put him in C at least

Sounds like she was drunk and also the water was scalding hot

Thanks for posting this - will have a look!

From experience the jury will have convicted him of a lesser offence so the judges hands will have been tied with sentencing.

As I understand it, being drunk isn't normally a defence in criminal cases?