Please can people consider writing/emailing the attorney general and asking him to review the sentence for the man that killed Steven Simpson?

[AmberLeaf]

You may have read about the case in yesterday/todays press about 18 yr old Steven Simpson, he was killed in his own home by being set alight after being humiliated by several other young men on his 18th birthday.

His killer Jordan Sheard, 20 was sentenced to only 3 yrs 6 months, he will obviously not serve that long.

The judge Roger Keen appeared not to have taken Stevens disabilities into account in his summing up or sentence.

Please consider contacting the attorney general Dominic Grieve QC and asking him to review the sentence.

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

How to complain

Contact the Attorney General?s Office as soon as possible after the sentence is passed. The time limit for making a complaint is 28 days after sentencing.

Provide as much information as you can about the case, eg the:

name of the person who got the sentence Jordan Sheard
date the sentence was given 21st march 2013
court where the case was held sheffield crown court
crime committed Manslaughter

The sentence given sends out a message that it is ok to abuse people with disabilities in this way, that it isn't 'worse', obviously killing anyone is wrong, but if this was done to a 9 yr old child the sentence would be harsher rightly so, abusing someone like Steven is like doing it to a child and should be judged accordingly.

Steven being autistic wouldn't have been aware that these people abusing him weren't really his friends.

Please if you have a spare few minutes, consider contacting the attorney general.

[Icedcakeandflower]

I've been busy bumping on the main board .

However it occurred to me that as this is also a gay hate crime, if there is a similar campaign to raise awareness?

[bochead]

There is no way the UK can be described as a remotely civilised when such an act of evil is trivialised to such a degree by our justice system. It shames us ALL.

[AmberLeaf]

Icedcake, I am assuming others have also contacted the attorney general about this, but I haven't seen any sort of campaign, focusing on the gay hate crime element or the disability hate crime element.

[sickofsocalledexperts]

It was definitely a gay hate crime too - they had written "gay boy" on his burning head in lipstick.

[coff33pot]

Shared on my FB page x Email will be done first think in the morning to the attorney general.

[AmberLeaf]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to email.

[hazeyjane]

Have had an email from the attorney generals office, saying

'This Office has asked for further details of the cases from the Crown Prosecution Service so that the Law Officers can decide whether or not to refer the sentences to the Court of Appeal as being unduly lenient.'

Hopefully they have been inundated with letters.

[coff33pot]

Yes I got a reply like that this morning hazey. I hope their computer has steam coming out its ears with the amount of replys being issued and a just result out of it all.

[2006hildy]

Yes I read this in the paper. Stupid bastards. What were they thinking? I hope they get what they deserve in prison.

As the mother of a child with autism this story fills me with utter horror more than words can describe.

I feel for his parents what must they be going through?

RIP angel.

Done

[AmberLeaf]

Thanks 2006hildy

I can't imagine how his parents/family feel, even thinking about it makes me feel awful. I really do feel for them.

[TheNebulousBoojum]

Tas Shahjahan, if you are on MN, I read your letter about the case in today's Metro.
Well done for putting the case succinctly to a wider audience.

[AmberLeaf]

Just received this reply;

Thank you for your email regarding the 3 ½ year sentence given to Jordan Sheard


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


Yours sincerely

Correspondence Unit

Attorney General?s Office

Brilliant news, thanks and well done to everyone that took the time to write to the attorney general.

Its now over the court of appeal, hopefully they will give a more appropriate sentence.

[BoreOfWhabylon]

I've just received a further email

Thank you for your email regarding the 3 ½ year sentence given to Jordan Sheard.

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.

Yours sincerely

Correspondence Unit
Attorney General's Office

Brilliant news!

[AmberLeaf]

Snap!

Really great news.

[BoreOfWhabylon]

Oooh! Simulpost Amberleaf

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

Well done, that's great.

[Icedcakeandflower]

Snap too, it's great news!

[osospecial]

Just had that email too :)

[sickofsocalledexperts]

Yaaaaaay! Got it too

Well done Amberleaf !

[AmberLeaf]

Thanks

Big big thanks to all who made the effort, I didn't know this young man or his family, but as the parent of a child with autism I would like to think others would do the same if it were my son.

Im sure lots of you feel the same even if you don't have any autism connection [I also posted this in chat]

This is just the first step though, fingers crossed that the court of appeal increase the original sentence.

[coff33pot]

I got the same email this morning! This is good news for justice for the young man and his family I have everything crossed for them too.