Neil Entwhistle's defence

[georgiemama]

how low can you go?

I know a man is innocent until proven guilty, but really, there is a limit.

So wannabe, do you think whoever was in that dock would have been found guilty, if the papers had trudged up dirt on them in advance? If you do, you can't be so sure that they did get the right person in either the Soham case or the Ipswich case.

I have to say though, in the first few days after Hollie and Jessica disappeared and Ian Huntley was on Sky news every five minutes, talking far too much and being far too involved, I kept pointing at the TV and shouting, "it was him! He did it!" In that case the media actually helped secure a conviction, because he made himself so prominent, and kept talking to the media, the police became suspicous of him.

Is there a verdict yet?

no, they have been sent home for the night.

I hear he was looking online at sites about how to murder somebody. I HOPE the jury find him guilty. HOW could they not?

I thought the police targeted Ian Huntley because one of the little girl's mobile phone signal ended at his house but I could be wrong.

A desperate, guilty man can come up with any manner of unbelievable defence, but it doesn't mean the jury will fall for it or that the media can prejudice the trial. It depends on the strengh of the evidence especially DNA.

I recall in the case of the young model who was found raped and murdered outside her home in Croydon, that the defence offered by the accused (whose DNA was found inside her) that he happened to have stumbled across her dead body on his way back from the pub and decided to rape her instead of calling for help. Needless to say, this was derided by the prosecution and he was found guilty.

Either way, I suspect his sentence in no way reflected the crime whereas this is not the case in America.

Pity he can't get the death penalty.

Prisons in the US are a very different kettle of fish to over here though. Much longer sentences and harsher conditions.

From what I've read, Ian Huntley's facilities are practically Travel Lodge standard, although I suppose he has at least been given the "life means life" sentence as opposed to the "life means 10 years" given to lesser known murderers.

Sad though that the harsher conditions of prisons still don't stop the crimes being committed

Oh, yes, prisons in the US aren't as lush for the most part, particulary max security and sentences on the whole tend to be longer.

In federal prisons, there is no parole. Your sentence is just that.

he has been found guilty!

two counts of first degree murder.

no death penalty in Mass.

he might get life without the possibility of parole, however.

Well, as he is now found guilty - I hope his punishment is sufficiently harsh and lengthy. Life without parole I think isn't it?

And I hope the mother and child can now remain at peace, and be remembered with love by their family.

It's a good thing there's no death penalty. He has to live with what he's done and how many people he's hurt and the cock up he's made of his own life every day for the rest of his life now. FAR worse punishment than the 'release' of death.

It was justice. He's going daaaahhhhn as they say on the bill.

But he's not really worth the expense of feeding and housing him.

Seriously, even if he is innocent (not!), he still lied to police and fled the scene of a crime.
He would probably get several years in jail for that, so I don't even know why he bothered with all of those lies!

life without parole. He is not coming out. Shame our justice system doesn't take the same approach (and yes, before anyone asks, I do think it would be a good use of taxes, and if prisons are overcrowded then just build some more).