Another Weak Judge

[Canary42]

Life, meaning life, needed here - not a paltry 15 years.

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/man-sentenced-15-years-murdering-170724166.html

[New Judge]

Have you looked at the Sentencing Council's guidelines for murder (by which the judge is bound if he wants to avoid his sentence being appealed)?

[barry1010]

Minimum sentence of 15 years, I doubt he will be released then

[davebro]

Doesn't look enough to me - my mate got 19 years for stabbing a bloke who was threatening him in a drunken brawl.

[davebro]

//Minimum sentence of 15 years, I doubt he will be released then//

Of course he will be released at 15 years - no one would consider him a threat to the rest of society.

[barry1010]

Did your mate serve 19 years? Did he get a life sentence and released at 19 years?

[barry1010]

No of course about it, dave

[davebro]

he's served 3 - only 16 to go!

[davebro]

life is mandatory for murder - you're on licence after the custodial part

[ZebuSanctuary]

This appears to be the very same judge that handed down a relatively soft sentence back in 2020. The salient points of the trial are posted below:

Paul Crowther “ambushed” Bethany Fields and attacked her with a kitchen knife after she ended their relationship.

Crowther, 36, from Batley, West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Miss Fields after being diagnosed with schizophrenia following her death.

Judge Tom Bayliss QC described Crowther as a “very dangerous man indeed” as he ordered him to be detained in hospital as part of his minimum sentence of 12 years.

Judge Bayliss told Leeds Crown Court that Miss Fields – who was studying for an Environmental Geography degree in York – described the defendant as “manipulative, abusive and controlling”.

Is this judge a throwback from those times when domestic violence was seen as par for the course for being married?

[ToraToraTora]

Damn savage.....etc

[youngmafbog]

Murder should mean full life, I thought that was the 'deal' when they stopped stringing people up?

These scumbag should never see the light of day.

[andy-hughes]

Zebu - // This appears to be the very same judge that handed down a relatively soft sentence back in 2020. The salient points of the trial are posted below: //

As NJ has pointed out, judges are bound by sentencing guidelines when sentencing, moving outside those invites a legal appeal from the convicted's counsel.

These guidelines take into account individual situations which we as outsiders are unaware of, but which have been revealed during the trial, and usually not to the media, who simply advise the outcome.

[davebro]

//Murder should mean full life, I thought that was the 'deal' when they stopped stringing people up?//

I can't find the figures but my guess is that there are so many murderers out on licence that there wouldn't currently be enough prison places to keep them locked up.

[ZebuSanctuary]

// judges are bound by sentencing guidelines...(cut)... invites a legal appeal //

Understood.

Not being in possession of the full facts of the hearing and not having heard the testimonies of the witnesses and/or the accused, any conjecture on my part is misplaced.

Having said that, on the face it, the sentences handed down do seem to be somewhat lenient.

[davebro]

too lenient sentencing may also provoke a claim to review