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.

nappyrat

The video you refer to has been linked on news sites. Reporters have been all over Youtube looking for 'stories'. I really don't think anyone needs to report this particular one which is ambiguous in any case. The only people who need to report anything are those who can identify any further victims.

The ex girlfriend has stated that she told his band members and his mother what was going on. They may well have not believed her - the police didn't after all.

I knew someone who was a criminal defence barrister. He said that as long as his client told him he was innocent then he could defend him. Once the client admitted guilt then he just looked at mitigation. If the crime was particularly horrible, he did what he could re mitigation, in line with being professional, but no more.

Auntie Stella that's wrong. Harsher sentencing guidelines are coming in the spring for sex offences. Some judges are already using them. Not sure if this one did or not.

I should have been clearer: I meant 'currently' to indicate at the time whenever that may be. So whether, now or in the spring under revised policy, or at some other point; the judge uses the guidelines in force at the time.

A judge who used sentencing guidelines that were not yet in force would leave the door wide open to successful appeal against the sentence.

"I knew someone who was a criminal defence barrister. He said that as long as his client told him he was innocent then he could defend him. Once the client admitted guilt then he just looked at mitigation. If the crime was particularly horrible, he did what he could re mitigation, in line with being professional, but no more."

Well strictly speaking you could still defend him but not put forward any positive defences.
In reality though if someone tells you they're guilty then they're going to plead guilty, and if they weren't you'd recuse yourself as you wouldn't be properly able to act on your clients instructions.

Can any of the legal people explain why the people involved in the death of baby P got such a lighter sentence than was given out here?

Thank you jins

& Christmas

I read the full judgment and by god I wish I hadn't. I didn't realise it would go into that kind of detail and I will never be able to unknow it.

Those women will be out, as a PP has said, with plenty of childbearing years head of them. Please someone, reassure me they'll never be allowed to keep another child even if they have one?

Did try to warn Needs . Hope it hasn't wrecked your equlibrium. it is revolting.

Read the thread after I read the judgment. Some of those images popping into my head when I hug my little boy. Unimaginable.

Joanne Nikita has made her twitter account public again, don't know how long for as some of the abuse she's getting from Watkins' supporters beggars belief. She's like a dog with a bone, god bless her, and is after answers over why three police forces wouldn't listen to her. I don't want to repeat some of what she's said elsewhere on the internet ( follow the links on her twitter) due to libel reasons but people close to Watkins seem to have been more aware than they've admitted as to what was going on. It's absolutely heartbreaking that she thought she was on the verge of getting one of the women involved to go to the police but instead they were just trying to get Watkin's attention.

I saw her twitter but I couldn't bring myself to read it after the first couple of tweets. Poor thing I wished she'd go private to be honest as people will turn against her.