WARNING UPSETTING CONTENT - Ian Watkins to be sentenced this afternoon

[hobnobsaremyfavourite]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-25412675
Could this vile excuse for a human being sink any lower? His defense team pleading that he is a suicide risk and so very sory for his crime whilst he "LOL's" down a phone to a "Young fan". WTAF is he doing being allowed to contact young fans.
I hope he never leaves prison.

35 years for a man who is so sick and corrupted it even went beyond the realms if what the judge could comprehend. This case has made me feel ill.

But WTF were the police doing? according to one of IW's exes, she had been into the police several times over a number of years and they did nothing. Which means some of those kids could have been spared the abuse. When IW was arrested it wasn't even for sex offences, it was drug related. They found the computer images by chance. Bloody shambolic IMO.

I am not a violent person, nor do I support retributive justice or the death penalty. However, if Ian Watkins were to die suspiciously in prison, I wouldn't care

My heart bleeds for those two babies who , one day, may well find out what their own mothers did to them. I hope to hell they never find out. It's unimaginable.

Woefully short sentence IMHO....

So he has to serve 29 years in jail, which will make him 65 upon release.

Still plenty young enough to reoffend. I understand that the judge gave the maximum sentence possible, but it is just not long enough.

I have honestly never said this about a person before but, I really hope he doesn't live to see 65.

I think the court was told that the children will one day be told

Any idea about why the woman who actually allowed him to rape her child got less than the only who had planned to but not yet gone through with it?

He didn't rape either.

One was planning to rape (woman A) and one was attempted rape (woman B)

For the charges etc have a look on ukcriminallawblog.com

donnie I agree, I know it's their right to know and I'm sure the decision hasn't been taken lightly, but I'm not sure what good telling them would do that would mentally torment you. Poor, poor things. It's unimaginable.

I imagine the babies might need to know when they are older - because they will have the right to know who their birth mother is and to contact her if they wish. This is pretty crucial information for them to know when making up their mind whether to take up that right.

Hopefully any other victims will come forward.
Also time for the whole "groupie" culture to be looked. Awful behaviour has too often been overlooked and laughed off as "laddish" behaviour.

"I'd genuinely be interested in any lawyers etc that can give another perspective on this, and whether it is unreasonable to think his defence team are the lowest of the low."

Old thread covering this general topic.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/1583562-To-ask-how-defending-Lawyers-Solicitors-sleep-at-night

Will he be on suicide watch every single day, every 15 minutes??

I can't imagine they would put him in with other people either, so is he in solitary?

Can't believe the defence using the whole "Groupies were throwing themselves at him" line as if it were some defence, how many rock stars (much bigger stars than him!!) have groupies following them around and manage not to try and rape babies..

thanks moyorquimby

Re. the groupie comments, I think at the very foundation of this (and Jimmy Saville - sp?) case is a massive question around celebrity culture and how generally bad it is these days.

I hoped with 2012 Olympics it might herald the end of this sort of celebrity, but seemingly not...

It's the jury I feel really sorry for. My MIL did 7 weeks on jury service on an abuse case (young teenagers, not babies) and is now excused jury service for the rest of her life. How do you get over having to see all that evidence?

And his defence barrister is a despicable human being too.

Oh, for goodness sake. There is absolutely nothing despicable about a barrister doing their job. Even the lowest of the low is entitled to have someone put forward whatever can be said in terms of mitigation. Barristers have to follow their clients' instructions.

I do dislike the way that, in cases like this, people start blaming lawyers for acting for the defendant. It is, I am glad to say, an absolutely fundamental principle in our legal system that anyone accused of a crime is entitled to have a lawyer to defend them, and the day we start eroding that principle is the day we start sliding into a dictatorship.

Channel 4 news had a feature last night about the ongoing IPCC investigation. It appears that up to 5 police forces were informed about Watkins but failed to act.

I think a lot of it has to with 1)People thinking young(ish) rock stars can't be child sex abusers. 2) The women making the allegations being dismissed as liars or vengeful exes.

I agree with nennypops about the barrister though, to be honest.

She was doing her job - her job is to defend people, even if she knows them to be guilty of the worst crimes possible.

Likewise, if this vile specimen were now to attempt suicide & be found alive a Dr or paramedic somewhere would have to try to save his life. Because it is their job, however much they may not want to.

I don't think he should ever see the light of day again I'm glad the sentence is as long.

I would normally never say anything like this but I would quite happily see the 3 of them used for medical testing or organ harvesting.

I just hope to god that there aren't as many victims as saville

Dh (police) seems to think the initial charge may have been rape but was reduced to attempted during a plea bargain.
I hope he's wrong.
I don't agree with the death sentence but in this case I do think it would be appropriate.
I hope they all receive nightmare treatment in prison, I really do.

I totally agree everyone is entitled to a defence etc. And I do ultimately agree she was doing her job, but she chose to defend him (i assume?) and did it presumably knowing she"d have to say some of the things she did. I guess am just surprised anyone would choose to take on his case and earn money doing so...