Knife crime in England and Wales at record high, figures show – BBC News

Posted July 20th, 2020 in criminal justice, homicide, murder, news, offensive weapons, statistics, violence by sally

‘The number of knife crimes In England and Wales has risen to a new record high, says the Office for National Statistics.’

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BBC News, 17th July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Man jailed for ‘motiveless’ murder of David Williams in Glynneath – BBC News

Posted July 17th, 2020 in imprisonment, murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘A man has been sentenced to a minimum of 16 years in prison for the “motiveless” murder of a 73-year-old.’

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BBC News, 16th July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Inquest into Stephen Port’s victims set to begin in new year – The Guardian

‘Families of the victims of serial killer Stephen Port have been assured that everything possible will be done to ensure the long-awaited inquests into their deaths go ahead in the new year despite the coronavirus pandemic.’

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The Guardian, 10th July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Man found guilty of killing pregnant ex-girlfriend and baby in London – The Guardian

‘A man has been found guilty of stabbing his pregnant ex-girlfriend in a jealous rage, killing her and their baby.’

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The Guardian, 10th July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Why victims can sometimes inherit from their abusers- even if they kill them – OUP Blog

‘It is a basic rule of English law that a person who kills someone should not inherit from their victim. The justification behind the rule, known as the forfeiture rule, is that a person should not benefit from their crimes and therefore forfeits entitlement. Many other jurisdictions have the same basic rule for fundamental reasons of public policy, including the need to avoid incentivising homicide. Importantly, however, Parliament passed the Forfeiture Act 1982 to give courts in England and Wales discretion to modify the application of the rule in certain cases, so that some people could inherit from those they had killed after all. Such modification is also possible in some other jurisdictions: It allows judges to consider individual circumstances where the blanket application of a forfeiture rule would cause injustice.’

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OUP Blog, 3rd July 2020

Source: blog.oup.com

‘Rough sex’ defence will be banned, says justice minister – BBC News

‘The so-called “rough sex gone wrong” defence will be outlawed in new domestic abuse legislation, a justice minister has told MPs.’

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BBC News, 16th June 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ben Ashman: Man who ran over stepmother at wedding jailed – BBC News

‘A man who repeatedly drove over his stepmother in a drunken rage at a wedding has been jailed for six years.’

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BBC News, 11th June 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Manchester Arena attack inquiry: Survivors take legal action – BBC News

Posted June 10th, 2020 in inquiries, murder, news, terrorism, victims by sally

‘Survivors of the Manchester Arena attack are taking legal action after losing their bid to be represented at the public inquiry into the bombing.’

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BBC News, 9th June 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Neville Lawrence: black people still second-class citizens in Britain – The Guardian

‘Father of Stephen Lawrence says police’s promises to change have not been met.’

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The Guardian, 9th June 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

After Sally Challen, we now have a chance to tackle coercive control – The Guardian

‘The domestic abuse bill offers a once-in-a-generation chance to change our approach says the son of the woman whose conviction for murdering her husband was quashed.’

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The Guardian, 7th June 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Jeremy Bamber refused access to documents on Essex family murders – The Guardian

‘Jeremy Bamber, who is serving a whole life sentence for one of Britain’s most notorious multiple murders, has been refused access to documents that he believes could help clear his name.’

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The Guardian, 5th June 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Riley Siswick death: Senior detective cleared over toddler murder inquiry – BBC News

‘An “exceptional” senior detective has been cleared of allegations he failed to conduct a thorough investigation into the death of a three-year-old boy.’

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BBC News, 5th June 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sally Challen can inherit controlling husband’s estate, rules judge – The Guardian

‘A woman who won an appeal over her conviction for murdering her controlling husband can inherit his estate, a judge has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 27th May 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Jaden Moodie: ‘Chances missed’ to protect boy groomed by dealers – BBC News

‘A boy who was “butchered” in a drugs turf war after being groomed by drug dealers had been arrested in a crack den months earlier but police did not contact child exploitation staff, a report has found.’

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BBC News, 26th May 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

COVID-19 : a murderous virus? – Church Court Chambers

Posted May 19th, 2020 in causation, coronavirus, murder, news, prosecutions, unlawful killing by sally

‘Notwithstanding the seriousness of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and a global effort to fight the same, some individuals have taken it upon themselves to exacerbate the horror of the virus by spitting at others, purporting to have coronavirus. The Criminal Justice System is sadly accustomed to dealing with offences that involve threats to spread disease via bodily fluids; these offenders are often seeking to cause psychological terror and harm, rather than physical harm. However in circumstances such as this, the immediate psychological fear caused by the concern that the victim may have contracted the virus, may then be sadly outweighed by the pain and suffering of contracting the virus and subsequent death.’

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Church Court Chambers, May 2020

Source: churchcourtchambers.co.uk

Murder trial resumes with counsel and jury swapping seats – Legal Futures

‘A jury trial resumed at the Old Bailey yesterday, with barristers in the jury and press boxes, and jurors socially distancing in counsel’s rows after being told there were no face masks for them.’

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Legal Futures, 12th May 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘Lady in the Lake’ murder: Gordon Park’s conviction upheld – BBC News

‘Three senior judges have rejected a posthumous appeal against the conviction of Gordon Park, the so-called “Lady in the Lake” killer.’

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BBC News, 1st May 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Yousef Makki death: inquiry into Greater Manchester police dropped – The Guardian

‘A watchdog has dropped its misconduct investigation into Greater Manchester police’s handling of a case involving the death of a schoolboy in Cheshire.’

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The Guardian, 30th April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Martin Cooper: ‘Sadistic psychopath’ sentenced for 1980s rape – BBC News

Posted April 30th, 2020 in murder, news, rape, sentencing by sally

‘A man jailed for life for brutally murdering and raping a teenager in 1987 has been sentenced for attacking a second victim before the killing.’

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BBC News, 29th April 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Jeremy Bamber lawyers seek review of CPS refusal to disclose evidence – The Guardian

Posted April 30th, 2020 in Crown Prosecution Service, disclosure, evidence, judicial review, murder, news by sally

‘Lawyers representing Jeremy Bamber, who is serving a whole life sentence for killing five members of his family in 1985, will ask the high court to review the refusal of the Crown Prosecution Service to disclose evidence they believe could undermine his conviction.’

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The Guardian, 30th April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com