Three and a half years for the horrific murder of boy with autism? Seriously? [Warning, distressing content]

[kweggie]

''Yob killed gay teenager by setting him on fire at his 18th birthday party

During the party Steven Simpson was doused in tanning oil before he was set alight by Jordan Sheard
A paramedic who treated the young victim reported seeing the words 'Gay Boy' written on his forehead
Steven suffered 60 per cent burns and died in June last year
Sheard was jailed for three years and six months after pleading guilty to manslaughter
''
as reported in the Mail online....the whole article is deeply shocking.

IMO this boy was TORTURED and it beggars belief that the judge that described it as' horseplay that got out of hand'. Is this acceptable?

[timtam23]

Dwells I got that email this evening too. Hopefully the Court of Appeal judges will give a more proportionate sentence.

[KristinaM]

Thanks for that update

[DwellsUndertheSink]

"Having carefully reviewed this case, the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve QC MP, has decided to refer the sentence to the Court of Appeal as a possibly unduly lenient sentence.

"The case will in due course be heard by three Court of Appeal judges who will decide whether or not to increase the sentence. "

[SarahHillWheeler]

Just written.

Here's a reminder of the link about how to complain about a crown court sentence.

www.gov.uk/complain-about-low-crown-court-sentence

[Icedcakeandflower]

Bump

[fromparistoberlin]

that sentance is awfully low

terrible story, may that poor boy rest in peace

[TheNebulousBoojum]

bump

[alexpolismum]

Bump.

Please take the time to complain to the Attorney General about this low sentence

[edam]

quite Sarah. I don't understand why it is so hard for the authorities to realise that discrimination is wrong, whether the discrimination is to do with race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age... whatever the protected characteristic, discrimination is WRONG and should be taken seriously. It's almost as if the white male upper classes think 'ooh, race is a serious matter, better be careful about that one, but other forms of hatred and discrimination aren't as bad'.

[SarahHillWheeler]

Agree. It looks as if sentence reduced to reflect guilty plea and the fact that (apparently) there was no intention to kill or to cause serious harm (although personally I find that hard to believe).

I don't know the ins-and-outs of the case (no transcript and sentence details sketchy). However, am surprised that account was not taken of the "disability hate" element of the crime which surely should have justified a higher sentence. The fact that it was perpetrated by a so-called "friend" on a vulnerable person (and a person known to be vulnerable) is part of what makes it so horrific.

Agree should make case to Attorney General, but also more attention needs to be given to these types of hate crime.

There is an excellent piece by Katherine Quarmby in Disability Now www.disabilitynow.org.uk/article/unequal-law and a report on Disability Hate Crime by Scope, www.scope.org.uk/sites/default/files/pdfs/Campaigns_policy/Scope_Hate_Crime_Report.pdf

Both make really harrowing reading, and show how much has yet to be done - there is a suggestion that crimes involving disability hate are not treated with the same seriousness by the judiciary (and others) as those motiviated by racial hatred. Whilst not wanting to downplay the latter, it is time we played much more attention to attacks on those who are "different" because of a disability (visual or not).

[changeforthebetter]

This is truly atrocious. The poor man. I am incredulous at the sentence. 'Horseplay' is like something out of the 1950s

[AmberLeaf]

That's maybe my fault, 'horrific murder' were the words I used.

IMO it was murder, but yes the charge was manslaughter.

[KatieMiddleton]

Thanks KateS but you may want to revise the word murder, because although that's exactly what it is to my mind and many others, it has been found to be manslaughter, not murder.

[AmberLeaf]

Thanks KateS.

[cocolepew]

Horrific, I'm speechless.

[KateSMumsnet]

@AmberLeaf

Why make it less graphic?

It was an awful things that happened, but it happened, I don't understand editing this title?

Who are you worried about upsetting?

Sorry but the reason 3 and a half years is a disgrace, is because it was for a horrific murder, so of course the title should reflect that!

Good point AmberLeaf - sorry, our first edit probably wasn't the best. We've now edited the title to accurately reflect what happened.

[hackmum]

This is the most distressing thing I've read in a long time. If you pour oil on someone, and set fire to them, you know what the consequences will be. I can't believe that someone doing that could get 3 1/2 years. I don't understand why the other people who egged him on should get away scot-free. I've got no idea what the judge was thinking. Just unbelievable.

[KatieMiddleton]

I wouldn't click on it as it is. I would click on a title that was something like "Just 3 and a half years for torture and killing, seriously?"

I think you have made the wrong call on this HQ.

[AmberLeaf]

Maybe TheNebulous, but I don't think that is why MNHQ censored it.

[TheNebulousBoojum]

I have an 18 year old boy on the spectrum who has attended several parties this year. Fortunately his friends are exactly that.

[TheNebulousBoojum]

Make it less graphic and an incomplete title and more people may click on it.
People are usually only interested in things that directly affect them. If the title had the word 'autistic' in it, that would be enough to switch some posters off without clicking.
The wider the audience, the better IMO.

[AmberLeaf]

Jordan Sheard did 'burn an autistic boy to death'

I have an autistic son, reading such words in a MN thread title won't upset me, I worry about this sort of thing anyway.

Stuff like this being hushed up so as not to offend/upset someone is ridiculous.

I have written to the attorney general requesting a review of the sentence today, I have done that because I was able to read about this horrific crime.

I have done as much as one person can do, please don't start censoring thread titles that may be awful enough to spur posters into action.

[AmberLeaf]

Why make it less graphic?

It was an awful things that happened, but it happened, I don't understand editing this title?

Who are you worried about upsetting?

Sorry but the reason 3 and a half years is a disgrace, is because it was for a horrific murder, so of course the title should reflect that!

[KatieMiddleton]

But it doesn't mean anything now KateS. I think you could have the word "killing" in the thread title without anyone reaching for the smelling salts.