Inmate admits disembowelling and murdering child rapist in prison cell attack

6-22-2012 United Kingdom:

Mitchell Harrison, 23, was killed at Frankland Prison where he was being held for raping a 13-year-old girl. He was killed with makeshift weapons, thought to be razor blades melted into toothbrush handles. Prisoner Michael Parr, 32, has now pleaded guilty to his murder

A prisoner has admitted disembowelling and murdering a child rapist during a brutal attack at a top-security jail.

Mitchell Harrison, 23, was serving an indefinite sentence at Frankland Prison, Durham, for raping a 13-year-old girl when he was brutally killed last October.

He was attacked with makeshift weapons, thought to be razor blades melted into toothbrush handles.

His bloodied body was found in his cell by warders.

Speaking shortly after his murder, a source close to the prison said: ‘To all intents and purposes he had been disembowelled. There was blood everywhere.'

Michael Parr, 32, pleaded guilty to murder during a brief hearing at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday via videolink from prison.

Nathan Mann, 23, is also charged with Harrison’s murder but he did not appear before the court.

Harrison, from Wolverhampton, was jailed in January 2010 for raping a girl in Cumbria.

He was jailed at Carlisle Crown Court indefinitely and was put on the sex offenders’ register for life.

A pathologist found that he had died of 'multiple injuries' and his death led to the prison being criticised.

Criminology expert Professor David Wilson, of Birmingham City University, said the extremely violent nature of the attack was significant.

He said: ‘The question is how can something like this take place in Frankland and why didn’t the staff protect him?’

The judge who sent Harrison to prison said he posed a ‘substantial risk’ to young girls.

He lured his teenage victim to his flat in Kendal, Cumbria, in 2009. Once inside he ordered her to strip before raping her twice.

It was the third time Harrison had been in trouble for sexually assaulting girls.

When he was 13 he was given a formal warning for indecently assaulting a seven-year-old and when he was 15 he was taken to court for threatening to rape a 15-year-old classmate.

After his murder, Harrison’s family released a statement saying: 'Although we never condoned his past actions, he was serving his time and was by all accounts a model, trusted prisoner who did not deserve to die in this horrific way.'

Parr will be sentenced on July 12. ..Source.. by Anthony Bond

Two inmates charged with murder after 'disembowelled' paedophile is killed in jail attack

10-3-2011 United Kingdom:

Nathan Mann, 23, and Michael Parr, 32, charged with murdering Mitchell Harrison, 23;
Soham killer Ian Huntley had his throat slashed at same prison last year

Two prisoners have appeared in court charged with the murder of a paedophile inmate who died after being disembowelled in an attack in his cell.

Nathan Mann, 23, and Michael Parr, 32, spoke only to confirm their names at the five-minute hearing at Peterlee Magistrates Court.

They are accused of killing Mitchell Harrison, 23, at high-security Frankland Prison, in County Durham - where last year Soham killer Ian Huntley was slashed in the throat by a fellow inmate.

Serial sex attacker Harrison was killed with makeshift weapons, thought to be razor blades melted into toothbrush handles.

Harrison, who was sentenced in January 2010 to a minimum of four-and-a-half years for raping a 13-year-old girl, was found by warders shortly after 10am on Saturday.

A source close to the prison said: ‘To all intents and purposes he had been disembowelled. There was blood everywhere.

‘We are still trying to work out the exact chain of events.’

Magistrates set Mann and Parr's case to be heard at Newcastle Crown Court, where the pair will next appear on Wednesday.

Harrison was jailed indefinitely at Carlisle Crown Court in January last year as the judge said he posed a ‘substantial risk’ to young girls.

He lured his teenage victim to his flat in Kendal, Cumbria. Once inside he ordered her to strip before raping her twice.

It was the third time Harrison, originally from Wolverhampton, had been in trouble for sexually assaulting girls.

When he was 13 he was given a formal warning for indecently assaulting a seven-year-old and when he was 15 he was taken to court for threatening to rape a 15-year-old classmate.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Chapman, of Durham Police, said a pathologist found Harrison had died of ‘multiple injuries’.

Last night criminology expert Professor David Wilson, of Birmingham City University, said the extremely violent nature of the attack was significant.

He said: ‘The question is how can something like this take place in Frankland and why didn’t the staff protect him?’

The Ministry of Justice said the incident was a matter for police. ..Source.. by Chris Greenwood and Paul Sims

Police reveal sex offender's past in blaze death inquiry

3-6-2012 United Kingdom:

A former Leicester man who died when his flat was deliberately set on fire was a convicted sex offender, police have revealed.

Officers disclosed Andrew Heath's criminal history – including offences against young boys in Leicester – this week, three months after his death in his flat in Worcester.

Police are examining the possibility that the arson attacks and the 52-year-old's past offences may be linked.

Mr Heath, a former member of Leicester Male Voice Choir and a fan of Leicester City, the Tigers and the county cricket team, dialled 999, knowing he was trapped in his flat in Chedworth Close, Warndon, at about 4am on December 14.

West Mercia Police have now revealed Mr Heath had committed five sexual offences, including gross indecency and indecent assault, between 1984 and 1999 in Leicester and Birmingham.

His victims were boys aged between 14 and 17. Some of the offences were committed before the age of consent for gay men was lowered from 18 to 16 in 2000. Detectives said they had no records of any offences or complaints against him since he moved to Worcester in 2001.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Williamson, of West Mercia Police, said: "We have looked at whether these offences could have been a motivation for someone to target Mr Heath, but to date we have no evidence of this.

"Whatever Mr Heath did in his past, he died in a terrible way and his family have been left in limbo not knowing what happened to him.

"The person responsible is still out there on our streets and needs to be caught."

The 52-year-old's family are originally from Leicester's West End.

His sister, Leia Charleson and her parents, Les and Helen, now live in Eastbourne. Ms Charleson, 57, said: "I can't understand why anyone would do this."

A £20,000 reward has been offered to anyone who supplies the information which results in the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Mr Heath's death.

A number of people have been arrested in connection with the attack. None have been charged. ..Source.. by Leicester Mercury



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Three bailed in Andrew Heath murder case

THREE people who were arrested on suspicion of murdering Worcester man Andrew Heath have been released on bail.

Two men, aged 21 and 20, and a 17-year-old male youth were arrested on Monday at addresses in the city’s Warndon and Brickfields areas and taken in for questioning.

They were arrested as part of the investigation into the death of Andrew Heath, who was killed in a flat fire at his home in Warndon.

Mr Heath, aged 52, was found dead at his flat in Chedworth Close after a suspected arson attack in the early hours of Wednesday, December 14.

The latest arrests brings the total of people now arrested in relation to the killing to 10. ..Source.. by Freya Leng

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Police reveal Worcester arson victim was a paedophile

4-5-2012:

A Worcester man, who was killed after an arson attack on his home, was a convicted paedophile, according to West Mercia Police.

Andrew Heath, aged 52, was found dead at his flat in Warndon last December.

Police confirmed he was convicted for gross indecency and indecent assault against teenage boys five times during the 1980s and 1990s. These assaults happened in Leicester and Birmingham- before Mr Heath moved to Worcester.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Williamson, who is leading the operation, said:

""I have taken the decision to make public details of previous offences committed by Andrew Heath because it may have some bearing on our inquiries.

"Since his death a lot of rumours have been circulating around the local community in Warndon about Mr Heath, some of them quite fanciful, and we believe these may have hampered our investigation. We wish to set the record straight and use this as another opportunity to appeal to the public for any information".

"a lot of rumours have been circulating around the local community in Warndon about Mr Heath, some of them quite fanciful, and we believe these may have hampered our investigation"

West Mercia Police say they have no records of any offences or complaints against him since he moved to Worcester.

DCI Williamson said:

"Whatever Mr Heath did in his past, he died in a terrible way and his family have been left in limbo not knowing what happened to him."

A total of 10 people have been arrested over his death. To date, nobody has been charged.

Police increased the reward for information leading to finding Mr Heath's killer from £10,000 to £20,000. ..Source.. by ITV Central

Gordon Morrice murder trial: Brain injury evidence given

1-23-2012 United Kingdom:

The brain of a suspected paedophile allegedly murdered by five people showed signs of a head injury suffered months before his death, a doctor has told a murder trial.

Gordon Morrice, 57, died several months after being severely injured at playing fields in Aberdeen's Golf Road in 2010.

Robert Laird, 25; Paul Yates, 38; Williamina Stewart, 37; Hector Stewart, 30; and Paul Noble, 17, deny murder.

Dr James MacKenzie said he had found "softening" on Mr Morrice's brain.

The consultant neuropathologist, who examined Mr Morrice's brain after his death, told the trial at the High Court in Aberdeen he had examined the brain microscopically with the naked eye and found the damage was mainly on the left side.

He said there was evidence to suggest Mr Morrice had suffered a head injury although the major damage had been caused by subsequent bleeding.

In his visual exam he detected "softening" on parts of the brain, which he said could appear "boggy".

"The brain deals with damage in one way," he said. "It walls it off, takes it away and you are left with softening.

"Many months have elapsed between the incident that caused it and the death of the deceased."

He added: "What I'm looking at is the remains on the battle field long after the battle is over."

The doctor said Mr Morrice's memory, movements, speech and swallowing would all have been affected.

He said: "The distribution and severity of the brain damage is likely to have rendered the deceased severely neurologically disabled."

'Spontaneous haemorrhage'

Advocate depute David Nicolson told the witness the court had heard that Mr Morrice regained some of his speech in the months after the attack.

Dr MacKenzie replied: "What often happens is there is some degree of functional recovery after time goes by, but there are bits you can't put back together."

The court heard Mr Morrice had been prescribed Warfarin - a blood thinning drug - before the alleged attack and did not lose consciousness until several hours afterwards.

Dr MacKenzie said Mr Morrice may have appeared to function normally after the alleged incident until the build up of a clot started to damage the brain.

He added that this was consistent with someone who may have a "slow bleed" on the brain.

He told the court that a "spontaneous haemorrhage" can occur in a person who is taking Warfarin.

Paul Noble's defence counsel, Edward Targowski QC, asked Dr MacKenzie: "If it can occur relatively spontaneously, then little force would be required to cause a haemorrhage of a patient who is on Warfarin?

The witness replied: "Yes, there is an increased risk of haemorrhage inside the head."

Background checks

The five accused are alleged to have attacked Mr Morrice at a park in Seaton on 24 June 2010.

They are alleged to have struck him on the body with a bicycle and repeatedly punched and stamped on his head and body at Golf Road and the adjoining park.

The attack is alleged to have caused the death of Mr Morrice on 14 March last year at an Aberdeen nursing home.

Williamina and Hector Stewart are also accused of previously showing malice and ill-will towards Mr Morrice.

The trial has heard several witnesses claim that rumours of Mr Morrice being a paedophile had circulated the Seaton community before the alleged attack.

Pc William Thom, of Grampian Police, previously said he ran background checks on Mr Morrice following a report that he had asked to bounce on a trampoline with two children, but they had come back clear.

The trial, before Lord Uist, continues. ..Source.. by BBC

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Pair who killed man wrongly accused of being paedophile in Aberdeen jailed

A schoolboy and a mother who killed a man wrongly accused of being a paedophile have been jailed.

Gordon Morrice, 58, died months after being severely injured at playing fields in Aberdeen's Golf Road in 2010.

The attack happened after he asked to bounce on a child's trampoline near his flat in the city.

Williamina Stewart, 37, was jailed for 10 years and Paul Noble, 18, for eight after they both admitted culpable homicide.

They had gone on trial for murder at the High Court in Aberdeen.

Relatives of Mr Morrice said in a statement after the sentencing: "This was a terrible sustained attack on our dad which not only led to his death but caused his family great pain and anguish.

We would also like to thank the good people who came forward”

Family statement

"Not only has our family lost a father and a son but no amount of time can change what has happened or take our pain away.

"We also had to endure nine months of agony while our dad lay in a hospital bed without knowing what would happen. The reality is his life ended on the day of this attack."

They explained: "We still can't believe what these people have done and cannot comprehend why they did it.

"This was a brutal attack which was pre-planned. What sort of people could do something like this? We hope they feel a little bit of our hurt and pain, but I really doubt they will.

"The hurt and pain will always be with us and it is something we will have to live for the rest of our lives."

They added: "It was also extremely hurtful for us to see repeated claims that our dad was a paedophile when this was completely untrue. He was the innocent one and not the one on trial, and I hope the people responsible realise the effect this has had, and will continue to have, in our lives.

"The family would like to thank the police and the crown for their efforts in getting to the truth of the incident and for clearing our dad's name.

"We would also like to thank the good people of Seaton who came forward and helped the police with their enquiries."

'Untimely death'

Grampian Police Det Insp Cammy Preston, who led the inquiry, said: "This is a harsh lesson for anyone who takes the law into their own hands.

"This group made the wrong assumption that Gordon Morrice was a 'paedophile' on the back of a throwaway remark which has literally led to his death.

"There is absolutely nothing to suggest he posed any risk or threat to children."

He went on: "Although those who have been convicted have been justly punished, there were others - some with their children - who stood by and watched the vicious attack on Mr Morrice and did nothing to stop it.

"In contrast, a number of the local community who were horrified by what they saw gave us the information we needed to pursue the accused and I thank them for their assistance.

"The untimely death of Mr Morrice from such a vicious attack, coupled with the malicious allegations from the accused, have caused his family untold pain and I can only hope this brings some closure for them."

Stewart's partner Paul Yates, 38, and her brother Hector Stewart, 30 admitted a reduced charge of assault.

They were admonished.

The case against co-accused Robert Laird, 25, was dropped due to a lack of evidence. ..Source.. by BBC

Sex offender possibly murdered

12-6-2011 Canada:

Police believe a sexual offender who died last week while serving time in Mission Institution was murdered.

Officers with Correction Service Canada (CSC) discovered an unresponsive male inside his cell at the medium security prison around 10: 45 p.m. on Friday.

Emergency services were called to the scene, however the victim could not be revived and was pronounced dead.

As a result, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) was called to the scene, and an autopsy was scheduled for early this week.

"Investigators continue to look into this suspicious death," Sgt. Jennifer Pound of IHIT said in a press release.

"It appears to be a homicide and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team . . . has been called in and has since taken conduct of the investigation."

CSC identified the victim as 39-year-old Troy Squires, although the IHIT would not confirm that because the victim's next of kin had yet to be notified.

Squires had been serving an indeterminate sentence for forcible confinement, sexual assault, uttering threats to cause death/harm, assault with a weapon and overcome resistance. He began serving that sentence in January of 2006. The CSC will also review the incident, said Brandon Banks, assistant warden of management services for CSC, in a press release.

Mission Institution is a medium security facility that houses roughly 250 inmates. ..Source.. by Cam Tucker, The Times

Prison staff should have protected paedophile who was disemboweled by inmates

10-4-2011 United Kingdom:

Paedophile Mitchell Harrison met a macabre and grisly end after being disemboweled in a prison attack by fellow inmates.

Look away if you’re squeamish, but the serial sex attacker was butchered with makeshift weapons, thought to be razor blades melted into toothbrush handles, after allegedly boasting about his sick crimes

Our gut instinct may well scream that a man who brags about raping a 13 year-old girl may have deserved such a bloody and hideous death. That this was justice in its most primitive sense.

However, this is England, 2011, a so-called civilized society where the rule of law still governs. And though it may be hard to swallow, what’s morally right and legally acceptable can be mutually exclusive.

The authorities at Frankland Prison in County Durham should face a full criminal investigation and Harrison’s family have a right to claim compensation for his unlawful death .

Every prisoner is entitled to full state protection, however horrible their crimes – indeed the greater the horror the more they need protecting.

How on earth can such a violent atrocity ever occur in one of Her Majesty’s prisons? Especially when this place has previous – Soham killer Ian Huntley had his throat slashed in the same jail only last year.

Defendants like this are prime targets for in-house vigilantism. Have the authorities learnt nothing?

Last year I supported Ian Huntley’s right to sue for £100,000 when he was attacked.

And that’s why I support Harrison’s family in suing the prison for every penny it can get.

Breaking the law is a costly business.

This mistake will probably cost the hard-pressed tax payer millions.

Only the other day the High Court ruled that banned extremist Sheikh Raed Salah could claim compensation for unlawful detention by immigration officers because they failed to explain to him ‘in a language he could understand’ precisely why he was being detained – a technical breach of the rules. The pro-Palestinian hardliner, described in the Commons as a ‘virulent anti-Semite’ is banned from this country.

His entry was illegal. But nevertheless now he is here, is entitled to being protected by the law of the land.

It’s essential that those responsible for those protecting us uphold that law. Otherwise we have to pick up the tab.

And until State protectors do their job properly, we’ll keep on paying. Now, where’s the morality in that? ..Source.. by Nick Freeman

Sex offender found stabbed to death in his caravan

12-8-2008 United Kingdom:

A convicted sex offender was stabbed to death and had his genitals mutilated during an attack in the caravan where he lived on an industrial estate in south London.

Andrew Cunningham, 52, died of multiple stab wounds to the head, neck and chest on Wednesday. Police confirmed he had previously been on the sex offenders register for an offence committed in 2000 but his name had been removed in March. He was convicted in 2001 and served a four-month prison sentence.

Detective chief inspector Nick Scola, the officer leading the investigation, said Cunningham had been the victim of a "vicious and brutal attack" and he had been stabbed in the groin. Reports that he had been killed by a vigilante mob were unfounded. It is understood that Cunningham had been convicted of having unlawful sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl. Police said it was clearly possible that this was a motive for the murder.

Scola confirmed that the Wandsworth home where Cunningham had previously lived with his now-estranged family had been attacked five years ago but that the incident involved a binliner being set fire outside the door.

"The fact that his genitals were mutilated, and that there was damage to the groin, is one consideration, but it could have been done to confuse the investigation," Scola said. "People in the local area did know of his past. He had been living in that caravan for some months."

The Sun reported that Cunningham had been targeted by a mob of angry locals who chanted "die, paedo die" but officers have discovered no evidence that this was the case. The paper claimed that drinkers in a local pub accused him of fondling the landlady's two-year-old daughter.

"There are no reports whatsoever of a group of people being seen in the area, no reports of anyone chanting, shouting or unusual activity," said Scola.

Cunningham was last seen alive at 6.10pm on December 9 when he was seen in his caravan, which was parked on a private road. He was known to frequent pubs in the local area but yesterday local drinkers refused to talk about the case.

A lorry driver for a haulage company, Cunningham lived next to the yard from which he worked. Alan Hawkins, the owner of a neighbouring yard, said: "He was like your average bloke. I didn't know too much about his history but there were whispers."

Cunningham is known to have locked his caravan from the inside. Scola said: "There was no forced entry and he could well have invited his killer into the caravan."

He added that the killing could never be justified, in spite of Cunningham's history. Police had no reports of further sexual offences committed by him.

"Regardless of who he was or what he may have done, Andrew was the victim of a vicious assault which ended his life," said Scola. "This was a vicious and brutal attack on him and whoever did it is still out there and could easily attack someone else."

A father of five, Cunningham had separated from his family and it is believed that they declined to identify his body.

He was found by his employer when he failed to turn up for work on Wednesday morning.

Police are studying CCTV footage from cameras around the industrial estate which is sited next to Wimbledon dog track.

Scola said he was particularly keen to find out more about Cunningham's movements last Tuesday evening and aspects of his daily life.

He said: "It is vital we establish where he was and who he was with. Many people knew him and he used several pubs in the area."

Sara Payne, the campaigner whose daughter Sarah was murdered by a convicted paedophile in 2000, said the attacker or attackers were "no better" than the man they had killed and that his murder would set back her campaign for the names and addresses of sex offenders to be made available to the public. ..Source.. by Audrey Gillan

Homicide victim a convicted sex offender

9-16-2011 Canada:

Hamilton’s most recent homicide victim, George Washington Burnett, was a convicted child molester.

Court documents obtained by The Spectator show Burnett pleaded guilty to sex-related offences in 1993 involving three victims, whose identities are protected under a publication ban. He was sentenced to seven years in a penitentiary.

The abuse took place during two time periods. The first was in the mid-1970s. The second occurred over several years, ending in the early 1990s.

Burnett, 82, was found dead in his bed at his Stirton Street home with a knife in his neck on the evening of Sept. 7. His son David and concerned friends had come to check on him and found his body.

Police said he was last seen by several people around noon the day before.

Neighbours have remembered Burnett, a former pastor, as a deeply religious man whom one neighbour said was like everybody’s grandfather.

Hamilton police say they are confident the murder was not random, but would not comment on whether his death was connected to his past. Staff Sergeant Steve Hrab, of the homicide unit, said there is some sort of relationship between Burnett and his killer.

“This individual wasn’t a stranger to the deceased,” Hrab said.

When asked if police are looking at someone in the neighbourhood, he said: “That’s a possibility, but it’s not conclusive to just that.”

Hrab described Stirton Street, in the central lower city near Sanford Avenue North and Wilson Street, as a close-knit neighbourhood. Burnett was known to most of his neighbours and they knew it was unusual that he had not been seen for more than a day.

One of the victims Burnett was convicted of molesting spoke to The Spectator.

She stoically recalled details of the abuse, which began more than 20 years ago when she was nine years old. The woman, now 30, read about the homicide in the newspaper and wondered if it was the same George Washington Burnett.

She hadn’t seen or spoken to Burnett since he was sent to prison. No one told her he lived about a 10-minute drive away. News of his death brought back memories.

“I started thinking, ‘Well maybe somebody from before that he did something to had come back to get revenge.’ Or maybe he did it to someone’s kid,” she said.

The woman said the abuse started about a month after she met Burnett. She said he would cover her mouth so she couldn’t scream and threaten her by saying he would send her away and she would never see her family again. She never told anyone what happened, not even her mother.

“I was scared to tell anyone, he put the fear in me,” she said. “I just remember being in shock, I don’t remember ever having emotion. After this happened, I just had to deal with it.”

The woman broke down when she talked about how Burnett changed her life — she was always afraid of men and new people until she got older.

“I never had boyfriends growing up, I felt like I never had a normal childhood because of that.”

A few years into the abuse, she was confronted by a woman who said Burnett raped her. At first she denied anything had been done to her, but when she found out she wasn’t the only victim, she broke her silence and told her family. Burnett was charged with five offences in 1993. He eventually pleaded guilty to three of those charges.

She never saw him again.

Following his death, neighbours — who say they knew little about Burnett — were deeply saddened. They described him as a wonderful man whom everyone looked after. He spent holidays with the folks across the street, and others helped him with meals and chores. They said Burnett was always alone and some recalled him living on Stirton for 10 to 15 years.

Burnett had seven children and several grandchildren. He once worked at Menasco Aerospace in Oakville as an engineer. Before he went to prison, he was a pastor at a local church.

Some of Burnett’s family members declined to speak to The Spectator. They held a funeral service for him Friday morning.

Police set up a command van in the neighbourhood on Thursday hoping to interview about 30 people they had not yet spoken to. Hrab said they did reach some of them, but would not say whether police learned any new details about the case.

“I don’t want the people responsible to know what we are thinking,” Hrab said. ..Source.. by Stacey Escott

Arm found on beach belongs to missing rapist

3-31-2011 Ireland:

Police in the Republic of Ireland have identified a human arm, found on Dollymount Strand last November, as belonging to a convicted rapist.

The man was named last night as 46-year-old James Nolan, of Fairlawn Road, Finglas, in west Dublin. He has not been seen since he was released from Portlaoise jail last November after serving a three-year sentence for a burglary in Booterstown, south Dublin, in 2005.

Nolan was arrested for the burglary as a result of fingerprints taken 19 years earlier when he was detained for the rape. He was jailed for 14 years in 1988 for the rape and false imprisonment of a woman.

Gardai said last night that his disappearance after his release from jail had not been notified to them and he had not been listed as a missing person.

Last night, officers were trying to contact members of his family to inform them of the find.

The limb was found on the beach on February 8 last. As part of their inquiries, gardai sought international co-operation from other police forces through the Interpol network.

As a result of assistance from British police, a DNA match was made recently which confirmed that it was Mr Nolan's arm.

Investigators acknowledged last night that they had no information yet on the circumstances surrounding his disappearance, when exactly he went missing and whether he had been killed.

One officer said their inquiries could now become more focused as a result of the positive identification through the DNA tests on the arm.

During Nolan's trial for burglary, the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that it was a fingerprint taken from him when he first went into custody in the 1980s that led to his arrest for the later offence.

The court was also told that he had other previous convictions for larceny and road-traffic offences.

Judge Katherine Delahunt noted that a probation report had shown a high risk of re-offending due to Nolan's use of alcohol and drugs.

She said that she had taken into account his "significant previous convictions" and the fact that he had twice opted for trial before pleading guilty.

But she said he would be given limited credit for not putting the victim of the burglary through the ordeal of a trial.

The judge suspended the final 18 months of the sentence and imposed 12 months' probation. She also ordered him to undergo alcohol and drug treatment. ..Source.. by Belfast Telegraph

Man who killed sex offender could spend 6 years in jail

3-28-2011 Canada:

A Montreal crown prosecutor has recommended six years in jail for a man convicted in a vigilante-style killing.

Patrick Belanger was convicted of the manslaughter death of 63-year-old Leonard Wells at a Snowdon-area apartment building.

In July 2009, Belanger attacked Wells after he spotted child pornography on the man’s computer.

Belanger became angry and began punching Wells repeatedly.

The victim died in hospital.

Wells was a known sex offender from Ontario.

During a pre-sentencing hearing at the Montreal courthouse Monday afternoon, lawyers debated what sentence the 28-year-old Belanger deserved.

In his arguments, crown attorney Thierry Nadon said a clear message needed to be sent that people should not take justice into their own hands.

On the other side, the defense argued three years behind bars would be enough. In court, lawyer Julien Archambault discussed his client’s alcohol and drug problems, and argued his client was a victim of sexual abuse in his youth.

Therapist Clement Proulx was one of eight people to testify for Belanger.

“This is somebody who has less than one per cent of a chance of recidivism, of committing another crime like that, of committing any crime. He doesn’t have a background of criminal history,” he said.

Eric Schorer is the janitor at the building where the crime took place.

He agreed Belanger deserved a less harsh sentence.

“I don’t think he wanted to kill him. He’s a normal type of person. He needs a break in life. He had a really rough life,” Schorer said.

The crown’s suggestion was in line with a similar recent case.

In 2009, a British Columbia resident received seven years in prison for attacking a suspected pedophile with a baseball bat.

Clifford Frederic Martin struck his victim as he lay sleeping.

The man he killed was accused of molesting a 13-year-old girl.

Justice Louise Boudreau will hand down a sentence on April 21. ..Source.. by Global Montreal

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Child-porn discovery not a 'licence to kill': Canadian man who beat his neighbour to death after finding child pornography on his computer will serve six years behind bars

4-1-2011:

A man who beat his neighbour to death after finding child pornography on his computer should serve six years behind bars, says the Crown.

Patrick Belanger, 28, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the July 2009 beating death of Leonard Wells, 63, in west-end Montreal.

Prosecutor Thierry Nadon told a Quebec Court judge the sentence would send a clear message to society that vigilante killings are unacceptable and that a man's pedophilic tendencies don't give citizens "a licence to kill."

Belanger will be sentenced on April 21.

He was initially charged with first-degree murder following the attack on July 25, 2009. He had been helping Wells to move and had asked to use his computer while the two were taking a break.

He flew into a rage when he stumbled across images of children being sexually assaulted. Belanger called 911 and warned he would take matters into his own hands unless Wells was arrested immediately. He began punching and kicking the man when police failed to arrive after 20 minutes.

Belanger called 911 a second time as Wells lay in a pool of his own blood. The victim was transported to hospital in a coma and died a month later.

Belanger later told the court the child-porn images triggered memories of his own father's tale of childhood sexual abuse. The defendant also said he was drunk at the time of the beating and he had been an alcoholic for several years.

But the Crown said the "horrific" and "revolting" images did not give Belanger an excuse to kill a man.

"We cannot allow people to mete out their own justice," Nadon told the court.

"(Otherwise) we would be promoting anarchy. Incidents such as this one ... do not give him a licence to kill."

The prosecutor said the fact Belanger waited 20 minutes to administer the beating was evidence the killing was premeditated.

Defence lawyer Julien Archambault countered Belanger had no criminal record and has been in alcohol rehab for two years.

He requested a three-year prison term.

Belanger told judge Louise Bourdeau he's a changed man and was "not thinking rationally" at the time of the deadly attack.

"I'll have to pay for what I did," he added. "I have no hard feelings towards the Crown. Justice must be served." ..source..

Four quizzed after Netherton man is stabbed

UPDATE: Murderers caught and prosecuted!

11-17-2009 United Kingdom:

POLICE have named a man found murdered in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Graham Wootton, 31, from Haydock, died from a single stab wound at a house on St Augustine Way, Netherton.

Four people, including a woman aged 22, from Netherton, another woman, 38, from Bootle, and two men, aged 34 and 48, from Litherland and Crosby, remain in custody after being arrested in connection with the murder.

Neighbours heard arguing on the street hours before the death. ..Source.. by Liverpool Daily Post

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Four released on bail after stab horror murder in Netherton

11-19-2009 United Kingdom:

FOUR people arrested and quizzed at the weekend on suspicion of murder have been released on police bail.

They were arrested in connection with the death of Graham Wootton, 31.

He died from single stab wound at a house in St Augustine Way, Netherton, in the early hours of Saturday.

The four questioned by police included two women – a 22-year-old from Netherton and a 38-year-old from Bootle and two men, aged 34 and 48, from the Litherland and Crosby areas.

At 6.30pm on Sunday, police cordons on the quiet road and on a walkway next to the Leeds-Liverpool Canal were lifted.

A forensics team left the scene at 6.50pm and a single police officer was left guarding the front of the house. The victim is from Haydock.

Neighbours told the Bootle Times of their horror.

One said: “It’s a shock because this is normally a quiet street. There is never any trouble. I can’t believe this has happened.”

Another neighbour said: “I’m really surprised this has happened at that house because it’s so out of character for the people that live there. They keep themselves to themselves.”

Another woman said: “It was about 1am when I heard shouting and squabbling on the street.

“It was as if people had come back from the pub. It stopped suddenly and I thought they had gone home.

“I went back to sleep. Then I woke up because I could hear a woman screaming and I could see blue flashing lights. That was just after 2am.

“The woman was screaming frantically. I could hear other voices – but it was mainly the woman shouting.

“She was shouting again and again. She was put into the ambulance. Another woman was taken into a police van. But she was not handcuffed.”

She added: “I’ve lived on the street for 40 years and there has never been anything like this.

“It’s something that you normally hear about on the TV and not on your own doorstep.”

Carol Cooney, manageress of the nearby Netherton and Sefton British Legion, said: “I can’t believe what’s happened. You never hear anything like that happening around here. It’s come out of the blue.” ..Source.. by Mark Johnson, Bootle Times

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Stabbing victim’s brother tells of hell for family

8-5-2010 United Kingdom:

THE anguished brother of a stabbing victim this week described the months of hell his family has gone through.

Father-of-two Graham Wootton, of Penny Lane in Haydock, died from a single stab wound at a house in Netherton, Liverpool last November.

He left two daughters, aged seven and nine, four siblings, and his parents Barry and Esther, who live in Prescot.

Thirty-one-year-old Graham had finished a catering course at St Helens College shortly before his death and had ambitions of becoming a chef.

This week younger brother David Wootton, 28, spoke of the pain relatives have endured.

The security guard told the Star: “It has been horrific. It is still so hard to face and even now with the case going to court it is hitting us.

“Graham was a quiet lad, quite shy really and we enjoyed having a few drinks together, watching the football and rugby. We were very close. He had two daughters and was a great father. He had plenty of friends at the college and had hopes of becoming a chef.

“We don’t really know much about how he died – the police can’t tell us – and now it is going through the courts.”

David has received invaluable support from the organisation Supporter after Murder and Manslaughter Merseyside.

He has revealed plans to host a major charity event in aid of the organisation at the Thistle Hotel in Haydock on Friday, November 19.

David added: “They have given me so much support, I’ve been attending regular meetings in Liverpool and there has always been someone on the other end of the phone when I’ve needed to talk.

“I don’t want to just get families of victims involved – I want people from police, probation service and the CPS too.”

The night will involve a three-course meal, entertainment, raffles and auctions. All proceeds will go to SAMM Merseyside.

Anyone wishing to support the event or are interested is asked to email SAMMfundraiser@hotmail.co.uk

FOUR people charged in connection with Graham Wootton’s death will next face court again in November.

Samuel Dunne, 48, of Church Road, Seaforth and Susan Joanne Lynch, 38, of St Augustines Way, Netherton, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court, via video link equipment, earlier this month.

They are charged with murder, conspiracy to commit actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice.

David Bennett, 35, of Condron Road, Litherland, and Lindsey Hutchins, 23, of Muttocks Rake, Seaforth, are accused of conspiracy to commit actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice.

Dunne and Lynch have been remanded in custody by the Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Henry Globe, QC, and he remanded Bennett and Hutchins on bail. They are next to appear in court on Oct 5 to enter their pleas. A trial date has been fixed for January next year. ..Source.. by Andrew Kilmurray

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Convicted sex offender stabbed to death during confrontation about his sordid past

1-13-2011 United Kingdom:

A CONVICTED sex offender was stabbed to death after being confronted about his sordid past by his drunken new girlfriend and her pals, a court heard.

Graham Wootton, 31, probably died within 10 minutes of being stabbed in the left thigh. But it is claimed he was left lying in a pool of his own blood for about two hours while his alleged attackers, who had challenged him for being a “paedo”, attempted to cover up his murder.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Wootton’s new girlfriend Lindsay Hutchins, 23, had become aware of his criminal background after being secretly tipped off by his jealous brother Barry Wootton.

On the night of November 13, 2009, the young mum invited him around to her friend Susan Lynch’s Netherton home, where they were drinking with their co-accused Samuel Dunne, 49, and his nephew David Bennett, 36, of Condron Road North, Litherland.

Prosecutors allege the group plotted to confront and assault Wootton, who had learning difficulties. They claim that Dunne and Lynch then carried out a joint attack on Mr Wootton – punching, kicking and fatally stabbing him in her pantry.

Dunne, of Bedford Road, Bootle, and Lynch, of St Augustine’s Way, Netherton, both deny murder.

All four defendants also deny conspiring to commit assault occasioning actual bodily harm and plotting to pervert the court of justice.

Neil Flewitt QC, prosecuting, told the jury that all four had now given conflicting accounts blaming each other. He said: “It is, however, the prosecution case that at some time before Graham Wootton arrived at St Augustine’s Way, the four defendants agreed to confront and assault him in consequence of the suggestion that he had, in the past, been convicted of sexual offences.

“Also that in the pantry, off the kitchen, Samuel Dunne and Susan Lynch carried out a joint attack on Graham Wootton during the course of which he was punched, kicked and fatally stabbed.”

Mr Wootton, of Haydock, was convicted of offences of sexual assault in 1996 and made the subject of a hospital order.

Mr Flewitt told jurors the background to the attack was that Mr Wootton’s brother Barry had met Hutchins, of Muttocks Rake, Seaforth, on a night out. But after he introduced her to Graham it was clear they were attracted to each other. Barry was so upset he set up a new email address using a fake name, John Kelly, to email Hutchins.

In a series of emails he masqueraded as the brother of a 14-year-old girl abused by Mr Wootton. He told Hutchins: “He’s an evil t***. Do you want to be known as the friend of a sex beast. The evil t*** ruined my sister’s life.”

He then added: “He attacked my sister when she was 14. He was charged with eight other attacks. Your life will never be the same again if you have contact with him.”

Mr Flewitt said Hutchins quickly worked out it was Barry sending the messages. But she maintained contact with both men and on the night of November 13, she spoke to Mr Wootton for one hour and 16 minutes. Shortly after, at about 11.10pm, Mr Wootton arrived at Lynch’s home with alcohol.

Mr Flewitt said: “It is the prosecution case that by 00.39, Samuel Dunne had left the premises and was driving his van away from St Augustine’s Way where, by that time, Graham Wootton was already dead.”

He added that it was not “easy to piece together exactly what had happened” in the house. But that police were not called until 2.24am and by that stage it was too late to revive Mr Wootton. He had died from a 12.5cm wound which cut an artery in his leg. He also had a “slash” wound across his face.

In the wake of his death, Lynch admitted to police: “No-one likes a kiddie fiddler”, but she insisted it was Dunne who was fighting with Wootton. While Dunne, who fled the scene and hid his clothing, admitted punching Wootton, but insisted it must have been Lynch who stabbed him. ..Source.. by Chloe Griffiths

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Trial begins into alleged murder of convicted sex offender Graham Wootton in Netherton house

1-21-2011 United Kingdom:

A CONVICTED sex attacker died of stab wounds in a Netherton house after being confronted about his criminal past by his drunken new girlfriend and her pals.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Graham Wootton’s girlfriend Lindsay Hutchins, 23, had become aware of his background after being tipped off by his brother, Barry. On November 13, 2009, the young mum invited him around to her friend Susan Lynch’s Netherton home, where they were drinking with their co-accused Samuel Dunne, 49, and his nephew David Bennett, 36, of Condron Road North, Litherland.

Prosecution solicitor Neil Flewitt said: “It is the prosecution case that at some time before Graham Wootton arrived at St Augustine’s Way, the four defendants agreed to confront and assault him in consequence of the suggestion that he had, in the past, been convicted of sexual offences. Also that in the pantry, off the kitchen, Samuel Dunne and Susan Lynch carried out a joint attack on Graham Wootton during the course of which he was punched, kicked and fatally stabbed.”

Mr Wootton, of Haydock, was convicted of offences of sexual assault in 1996 and made the subject of a hospital order.

Mr Flewitt told jurors Mr Wootton’s brother Barry had met Hutchins, of Muttocks Rake, Netherton, on a night out. But after he introduced her to Graham it was clear they were attracted to each other. Barry was so upset he set up a new email address using a fake name, John Kelly, to email Hutchins. In a series of emails he masqueraded as the brother of a 14-year-old girl abused by Mr Wootton. He told Hutchins: “He’s an evil t***. Do you want to be known as the friend of a sex beast. The evil t*** ruined my sister’s life.”

Mr Flewitt said: “It is the prosecution case that by 00.39, Samuel Dunne had left the premises. By that time, Graham Wootton was already dead.”

He added that it was not “easy to piece together exactly what had happened”, but police were not called until 2.24am.

By that stage it was too late to revive Mr Wootton. He had died from a 12.5cm wound which cut an artery in his leg.

Barry Wootton, who gave evidence from behind a screen, admitted making up details of his brother’s crimes, but said he did it to help him. He flatly denied being jealous despite being asked several times.

He said: “I started getting suspicious of Lindsay. She thought men were only there to give her money.” Mr Steer said: “So this was to scare her away for Graham’s benefit?” Mr Wootton agreed, saying: “For Graham’s benefit”. David Steer QC, representing murder accused Susan Lynch, scorned the idea that Barry Wootton was not jealous: “You were very fond of her. Graham was irritating you and you fought.”

Susan Lynch, 39, of St Augustine’s Way, Netherton, where the murder is alleged to have taken place and Samuel ‘Budgie’ Dunne, 49, of Bedford Road, Bootle, deny murdering Mr Wootton. They, along with Lindsay Hutchins, 23, and David Bennett, 36, of Condron Road North, Litherland, also deny conspiring to commit assault occasioning actual bodily harm and plotting to pervert the course of justice. ..Source.. by Michael Byrne, Crosby Herald

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Jail for killers of sex offender Graham Wootton

2-25-2011 United Kingdom:

FOUR people have been jailed for a combined total of 37 years following the brutal killing of a convicted sex offender.

Susan Lynch was handed a life sentence for murder of Haydock man Graham Wootton to death in Netherton, Liverpool in 2009. She will serve 18 years.

Co-accused Samuel Dunne was cleared of murder but convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter and was given nine years.

Their co-accused Lindsey Hutchins and David Bennett were each given five years for conspiracy to assault.

Graham Wootton, 31, died from a stab wound to the top of his leg.

A trial at Liverpool Crown Court heard that at the time of his death, he had been in a relationship with Hutchins, who had previously dated his brother Barry.

The court was told she was informed of Graham’s historic conviction - for committing a sex assault when he was a teenager - in an email sent by Barry from a fake address.

Graham had been invited to the house in Liverpool late on Friday, November 13.

It is believed that the four offenders, who had been drinking, had discussed his background.

Although it remains unclear as to what exactly happened, Graham had been dead for a number of hours before an ambulance was called.

Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Williams said: “Susan Lynch has been found guilty of the murder of Graham Wootton. Samuel Dunne has been found guilty of manslaughter.

“All parties including David Bennett and Lindsey Hutchins have also been found guilty of conspiracy to commit actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice.

“While today's verdict cannot bring Graham back, we hope that it will bring some comfort to his family.

“We also hope that the verdict today will bring home to these offenders, the enormity of what they have done and the pain and heartache they have caused.

“The court has heard that Graham thought he was going to have a few drinks with friends the night he was killed. He went out that night to enjoy himself he did not deserve to die in this way.

“I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of the officers involved in this complex investigation. I would also like to thank the Crown Prosecution Service and the Prosecution Team for all their support throughout this investigation.

“Ultimately nothing can bring Graham back and his family and friends have been devastated by what happened.

"I hope that today’s result at court will bring them some comfort in the knowledge that justice has been done.” ..Source.. by St HelenStar

Child rapist 'stamped to death in his prison cell by fellow inmate'

8-4-2010 United Kingdom:

A child rapist has allegedly been stamped to death in his prison cell by a fellow inmate.

Robert Coello, 44, who was serving a sentence for sexually assaulting a minor, was found with head injuries in his cell in G wing of HMP Grendon in Buckinghamshire on Sunday.

He was taken to Stoke Mandeville Hospital but pronounced dead later that day, Thames Valley Police said.

The force said a 25-year-old inmate was arrested on Sunday evening before being bailed and returned to prison.

Officers are waiting for results of a post-mortem examination by a Home Office pathologist.

Coello was jailed at Reading Crown Court in August 2006, after admitting four counts of rape and 12 other sexual assaults.

He was serving a minimum seven year sentence.

HMP Grendon opened in 1962 as an experimental psychiatric prison, providing treatment for prisoners with antisocial personality disorders, under the direction of a medical superintendent, according the HM Prison Service website.

It is now run by a Prison Service governor and continues to operate a regime of therapeutic care for offenders.

The prison can house up to 235 inmates in Category B secure conditions, with the six wings operating as autonomous therapeutic communities. Prisoners must be committed to staying drug free while in therapy.

It is believed to be the first time an inmate has been killed in a category B prison.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'There has been no change to the type of prisoner held there in recent months, and no change to the vetting process.' ..Source.. by Daily Mail Reporter

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Inmate denies murdering sex offender Robert Coello

10-31-2011:

An inmate killed a sex offender in his cell by kicking and punching him, causing a fatal brain injury, in a "ferocious attack", a court has heard.

Lee Foye, 27, denies murdering Robert Coello, 44, on 1 August 2010 in HM Prison Grendon, Buckinghamshire.

Prosecutor Neil Moore said Foye, who worked out in the gym, despised 11-stone serial child sex offender Coello.

Luton Crown Court heard there was evidence of Foye's footwear on Coello's body but fists may also have been used.

"The evidence is the defendant repeatedly kicked or stamped or both on his head and body," Mr Moore said.

He said two other inmates nearby heard the noise and went to inspect but the window had been covered in tissue paper.

The attack left Coello, originally from Whitley in Berkshire, with multiple fractures.
'Abnormality of mind'

"His head and body were extensively bruised and he suffered a brain injury that caused his death," Mr Moore said.

He said that, after the attack, Foye, originally from Corby in Northamptonshire, removed his bloodied clothes, which were later found in a prison bin.

Mr Moore said that, before the attack, Foye had said of Coello: "People like that should be put down."

At the start of the afternoon court session, Judge Richard Foster told the jury Foye had been taken back to prison because he was feeling unwell.

Mr Moore said psychiatrists found Foye suffered from a social personality disorder and that the defence would argue he had diminished responsibility at the time of the killing.

He urged the jury to consider the lesser charge of manslaughter.

"All those who assessed the defendant, all the experts, say he was suffering from abnormality of the mind at the time of the killing," Mr Moore said.

The case continues. ..Source.. by BBC

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Inmate Lee Foye guilty of prison murder jailed for 35 years

11-15-2011 United Kingdom:

An inmate who beat a sex offender to death in prison has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 35 years after being convicted of murder.

Lee Foye, 26, stamped on Robert Coello, 44, so hard at HM Prison Grendon, Buckinghamshire, that the tread of his shoes could be seen on Coello's body.

Luton Crown Court heard Foye despised the serial child sex offender.

After convicting Foye the jury was told he was serving life for murdering a former lover in front of her son.

Judge Richard Foster said Foye's jail sentence would run concurrently to the 16-year sentence he is serving for his first murder.
Inquiry call

It means Foye cannot even be considered for parole until he is aged 61.

Jailing him at Luton Crown Court the judge said: "It was a callous, premeditated murder of a helpless victim."

Judge Foster said Foye had "manipulated the prison authorities to facilitate" his move to Grendon saying he had chosen Coello as his victim "perhaps because he had been vocal about his own offending."

The judge said: "I hope there will be a full inquiry into how appropriate it was for Lee Foye to be kept at HMP Grendon."

The court heard Coello, of Whitley, Reading, was attacked after he upset prisoners with graphic details of his crimes.

He had been placed in a wing with prisoners who were not sex offenders because the prison was so full and under its regime had been encouraged to talk about his feelings with other inmates, the court heard.

Foye carried out a ferocious attack on Coello after going into his cell and locking the door behind him.

Foye, who had boycotted the trial and was not present for the verdict, cut off both his ears in Woodhill Prison, Milton Keynes, while waiting for the case to come to court.

His defence had argued he should be convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Toddler's cries

Two women jurors cried when the prosecution revealed Foye's previous victim, Lauren Strachan, 19, of Corby, suffered 47 different stab wounds and 28 other injuries in August 2005.

Foye, then 20, was living with another woman at the time and is believed to have gone to Ms Strachan for sex and then killed her when she threatened to tell his girlfriend.

Her body was found the following morning when neighbours heard the cries of her two-year-old son.

Patrick Mandikate, the prison's head of psychotherapy, admitted he was "uneasy" with the decision to place Coello on G Wing last year.

He said: "It was made clear to me in no uncertain terms that we needed to fill these beds no matter who was available." ..Source.. by BBC

Girl Accused Of Killing Her Alleged Molester

9-7-2010 United Kingdom:

Prosecution says girl, 14, stabbed man she accused of assaulting her after she heard he would not face charges...

Robert Daley, 45, was stabbed in the heart when the girl and a male friend, also 14, called at his home in Stockwell, south London, on 23 April, the Old Bailey was told.

Jonathan Rees QC, prosecuting, told the jury that the girl, her 16-year-old sister and a woman had made claims of sexual assault against Daley. Despite the claims, all three continued to have contact with him.

Rees said Daley was telephoned on the morning he died by a police officer who told him the Crown Prosecution Service had decided to drop the case. Daley then telephoned the older girl, who then contacted the 14-year-olds.

Five minutes after the boy and girl arrived at the flat Daley had been stabbed and lay bleeding on the floor. Two of the stab wounds had penetrated his heart.

Rees said the boy was understood to be claiming that he used the knife while trying to defend himself and the girl.

The girl denied taking part in the stabbing, but claimed that during the visit Daley sexually assaulted her in the kitchen and the boy stabbed him to help her get away.

Rees said: "There is evidence that she later told people close to her that it was she who stabbed him. It is the prosecution case that both defendants were responsible."

The defendants, now 15, deny murdering Daley. The trial continues. ..Source..

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Teen girl fatally stabs sister's alleged molester


9-29-2010 New Zealand:

A 14-year-old British girl stabbed a man to death after finding out he would not be prosecuted for allegedly sexually assaulting her older sister, a court has heard.

Robert Daley, 45, was killed at his home in London in April on the same day he was told by police that the case against him had been dropped, according to the BBC.

The court heard that he called the 16-year-old girl after finding out he would not be charged.

She replied with a text message saying: "Stop calling and texting me. I really don't want anything to do with you. You are a perverted man and I can never forgive you.”

She then called her younger sister and her sister's boyfriend, who went round to Mr Daley's house.

They claim the 14-year-old boy stabbed Mr Daley five times, including twice in the heart, after Mr Daley sexually assaulted the girl in his kitchen.

But the girl later bragged to her friends that she was the one who stabbed the victim, the prosecution said.

Mr Daley was arrested earlier this year after the older sister told police he had sexually assaulted her.

The younger sister also claimed Mr Daley had pestered her for sex since she was 11-years-old, but never made an official statement.

The charges against Mr Daley, an alcoholic and drug user who lived with his partner of eight years, were dropped.

Both girls continued to contact Mr Daley after he was arrested, with the younger sister allegedly asking him for money.

The court was told their father is in jail in the UK, and their mother is in jail in the Caribbean island of Grenada for drug trafficking.

The case is expected to last three weeks. ..Source.. by MSN NZ

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4-27-2010 Scotland:

A 14-year-old British girl is being held over the death of a man she accused of attacking her.

Robert Daley, 45, was stabbed to death in the doorway of his Brixton flat on Friday in what local media is describing as a "vigilante" attack.

Just 10 days earlier, the Crown Prosecution Service had refused to press charges against the unemployed builder despite the 14-year-old's allegations.

The girl is now being held in relation to the murder, with an 18-year-old man also arrested, the Daily Mail reports.

Mr Daley was found conscious by neighbours lying in a pool of blood after being repeatedly stabbed in the chest.

He was only able to give his first name to paramedics before dying from his injuries.

The CPS declared it had insufficient evidence to prosecute the unemployed builder on April 13 following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police child protection team.

Mr Daley was also alleged to have assaulted the girl's 18-year-old half-sister.

Scotland Yard confirmed a teenage girl had been arrested while the 18-year-old man had been bailed to return in May.

Neighbours were shocked to hear of the claims against the alleged pedophile, with one describing him as a "gentle giant". ..Source.. by ninemsn staff

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Boy 'stabbed suspected paedophile after he grabbed girl'

10-6-2010 United Kingdom:

A teenage boy told the Old Bailey today that he stabbed a suspected paedophile to death after the man grabbed a schoolgirl round the neck.

The boy and girl, who were both 14 at the time, had gone to Robert Daley's flat in Brixton, south London, after prosecutors dropped a sex abuse case against him.

Within minutes he had been stabbed five times in the side in his kitchen.

The teenagers, now both 15 and who cannot be identified because of their age, deny murdering Mr Daley, 45, in April.

The youth told the court the girl went into the kitchen with Mr Daley and a few minutes later, he heard "choking and grappling sounds".

The youth said: "I saw him pinning her to the worktop. He had his left hand on her throat and his right hand was trying to touch her.

"She was trying to get his hand off her throat and also trying to keep him from touching her."

He said a struggle broke out as he tried to pull the girl away and was hit in the face.

He allegedly saw Mr Daley reaching for a knife - and grabbed one himself for protection.

"I knew he went to get a knife. I looked round for what I could use as a weapon. I got scared because of all the stories he had told me.

"In the kitchen sink I found a black-handled knife. I assumed he was going to get one and stab us.

"I told him to stop screaming at me. He was not paying any attention.

"His hand was close to the knife - that's when I poked him."

The youth said he continued to "poke" Mr Daley until he managed to free the girl.

The trial was adjourned to tomorrow. ..Source.. by The Independent

Dorchester inmate's death a homicide: RCMP

9-13-2010 Canada:

The New Brunswick RCMP are ruling the Friday evening death of an inmate at the Dorchester Penitentiary a homicide.

The RCMP released a statement on Monday that said that based on evidence gained from an autopsy, Daniel Pépin was the victim of a homicide.

Pépin, 44, of Quebec, died after an altercation with another inmate at the Shepody Healing Centre.

The RCMP is continuing its investigation into the death.

Dorchester Penitentiary is a medium-security facility southeast of Moncton that can house 415 offenders, according to its website.

The prison offers special programs and facilities, including the Shepody centre, which is the regional treatment facility for the Atlantic provinces.

The penitentiary provides programs that include anger management, community integration, employability skills, sex offender rehabilitation, family violence prevention and substance abuse treatment. ..Source.. byCBC News

N.B. teen says she killed senior because of abuse

1-16-2010 Canada:

SAINT JOHN - Four women will testify that they were assaulted sexually by Frank Tonge when they were little girls, defence lawyer David Lutz told a jury in his opening statement of a murder trial yesterday.

"One occasion involved a broomstick. On another occasion, an animal," Lutz said in court.

"Frank Tonge is dead because on the day he died, he attempted to rape his last little girl."

Lutz represents a 16-year-old girl who is on trial for first-degree murder in the death of 78-year-old Tonge, who died in his Saint John home last June.

The girl can't be identified because of age provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The Crown closed its case yesterday -- the third day of the Court of Queen's Bench trial.

Prosecutors had earlier played a videotaped questioning of the accused by police, during which she said she stabbed Tonge in the neck and ran because she was scared and "fed up" with being fondled.

Lutz maintains the accused, who was 15 at the time, was defending herself.

"Frank Tonge was pulling this 15-year-old, to whom he had given drugs and alcohol for some time, into his bedroom."

Lutz said if the jurors believe what the accused told police, they would know she was addicted to drugs and kept going to Tonge's home because he gave them to her and, in exchange, fondled her.

Lutz said the teenage girl had done crack, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and Dilaudid, and had taken drugs intravenously.

"Who helped her down that drug path?" Lutz said to the court. "Frank Tonge."

Lutz said two of Tonge's alleged victims, who will testify, had previously complained to the RCMP that Tonge had sexually assaulted them. He said two other witnesses called him after reading about Tonge's death in the newspaper.

The jury heard testimony yesterday from a 14-year-old friend of the accused, who said the accused talked about killing the elderly man.

She said she went to the accused girl's home and they packed two bags, one with a knife they got from a block in the kitchen, gloves and a belt. She said they walked to Tonge's home and she waited in the bushes while the accused went inside.

Under cross-examination by Lutz, the 14-year-old witness said she knew Tonge was a "bad man" when she went to his home that day. The girl testified that she knew Tonge supplied drugs to her friend and kissed and touched her inappropriately. ..Source.. by Times & Transcript

Birmingham sex offender 'killed after attack by vigilantes'

8-9-2009 United Kingdom:

Man died after being kicked and punched in his home

A SEX offender who died after being beaten at his home may have been the target of vigilantes who had learned of his previous convictions.

Dennis Golding, 49, who had a string of offences for indecent exposure, was found covered in blood at his Birmingham flat in January.

He had suffered serious injuries to his body and head, consistent with having been repeatedly kicked and punched in a prolonged attack which police believe may have lasted up to two hours.

Serial flasher Golding, from Small Heath, died three weeks later.

Now it has emerged that he may have been targeted by vigilantes after rumours circulated locally that he had been spotted in the sex offenders’ wing of a Midland prison.

Police sources said it was “no secret” Golding was well-known in the community as a convicted sex offender. It is believed there had been a number of earlier incidents when his property may have been damaged.

Golding, who was unemployed, had a total of nine sex offence-related convictions stretching back five years and was on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

His first conviction was in 2004, when he was sentenced to a 24-month rehabilitation order after pleading guilty to indecent exposure. He was put on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years.

In September 2005, Golding received a one-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting four new charges of flashing.

His name was also added to the register for a further seven years.

A month later he was convicted of a further four counts of indecent exposure and of breaching the terms of the register after failing to report a change of address to West Midlands Police. He received 12 weeks in prison.

In March 2006 Golding was sentenced to 18 months for an attempted robbery.

Then in July 2007 he was locked up for four months after again being convicted of breaching the register’s conditions by not telling police he had moved address.

Community sources revealed that middle-aged Golding was set upon in his flat in Mansel Road, Small Heath, on the evening of January 25 this year. He was found with serious head injuries and was bleeding profusely.

Golding was rushed to hospital at about 11.30pm but remained in a critical condition.

It is believed he never regained consciousness.

Two men, aged 22 and 29, and a 19-year-old woman have pleaded not guilty to murder and are due to stand trial in November.

There have been a succession of vigilante attacks against paedophiles in recent years.

William Malcolm, a child sex attacker, was shot in the head on his doorstep in north-east London in 2000. Others have been hounded from homes and hostels by groups of vigilantes.

Despite public campaigns that dangerous paedophiles must remain in prison, child sex offenders are released regularly and many reoffend.

Each attack reignites the debate over whether vigilantism could drive offenders into hiding, making police surveillance even more difficult and increasing the chances that they will strike again. ..Source.. by Jeanette Oldham, Sunday Mercury

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Three people beat Birmingham sex offender to death, jury told

11-19-2009 United Kingdom:

TWO men and a woman beat a Birmingham man to death after he was recognised as a sex offender, a court was told.

Victim Dennis Golding, aged 49, was targeted because someone at the Birmingham hostel where he was living had seen him on a sex offenders’ wing in prison, it heard.

Dominic Maynard-Francis, 23, Darren Stevens 30, and Rebecca Gordon 20, all deny murdering Mr Golding.

James Goss QC, prosecuting at Birmingham Crown Court, said the victim suffered from Huntington’s disease, a hereditary illness affecting the central nervous system which impairs person’s ability to walk and talk, although it was only at its early stages.

He had moved in to the hostel for single homeless people in Mansel Road, Small Heath, in December last year and had been there for about six weeks before the attack.

He said another resident believed he had seen Mr Golding in prison and it was the case that he was on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

Mr Goss said that on January 25 this year the three defendants had been drinking and had been told Mr Golding was a “nonce”, a slang word for someone who interfered with children.

As a result they went to his room on a number of times and repeatedly assaulted him. Another resident living opposite heard his screams and later saw the defendants laughing, said Mr Goss.He said the resident also saw Gordon hitting the victim with a chair.

Mr Golding was found lying unconscious with severe head injuries and eventually died three weeks later after also contracting pneumonia. ..Source.. by Birmingham Net.com

Saudis Behead, Crucify Convicted Child Molester, Murderer

5-30-2009 Saudi Arabia:

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi authorities beheaded and crucified a man convicted of brutally slaying an 11-year-old boy and his father, the Interior Ministry announced.

According to the statement issued by the ministry Friday, shop owner Ahmed al-Anzi molested the boy and then strangled him with a length of rope. He then stabbed the boy's father to death when the man came looking for his son.

He hid both the bodies in his shop, the statement said, adding that al-Anzi threatened police with a knife when they came to arrest him.

Al-Anzi had previously been convicted of sodomy and owning pornographic films, a crime in conservative Saudi Arabia.

Crucifying the headless body in a public place is a way to set an example, according to the kingdom's strict interpretation of Islam. Normally those convicted of rape, murder and drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia are just beheaded.

London-based rights group Amnesty International criticized al-Anzi's execution and crucifixion.

"It is horrific that beheading and crucifixions still happen," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui of Amnesty International in a statement Friday.

"King Abdullah should show true leadership and commute all death sentences if Saudi Arabia is to have any role to play as a global leader or member of the G20," said Sahraoui.

According to an Associated Press count, Friday's execution brought the number to 35 beheading this year in the kingdom. In 2008, 102 people were beheaded. ..Source.. by AP

Murder accused 'told of stabbing'

It may be difficult to see why this case is included until you read the very end of the article (see highlights).

6-22-2009 United Kingdom:

A teenager accused of murdering a father-of-four told family members he had stabbed him, a court has heard.

Raymond Black, 48, was found lying in a pool of blood in his Carluke home in January, while his two-year-old daughter slept in another room.

At the High Court in Aberdeen the uncle of accused Peter Allen, 19, said he had told him he had cut Mr Black's throat.

Mr Allen pled not guilty to a charge of murder, defeating the ends of justice and destroying evidence.

Uncle's evidence

The court heard how the teenager had arrived at his uncle's house at Unitas Crescent in Carluke on 12 January, next door to Mr Black's house, with blood-soaked trainers on the night of the alleged attack.

Giving evidence against his nephew, Barry Allen said he had asked what had happened.

The uncle told the court: "He stared right through me, talking mumbo jumbo. He said he'd murdered Raymond Black.

"I was a wee bit frightened of him. He had a different expression on his face. The lights were on but he wasn't there.

"He did say he cut his throat and said 'he's a beast anyway or something like that'."

Asked why he or his partner did not contact the police, he answered: "He was that out of his face and I didn't want to believe it."

Defending, Donald Findlay QC questioned the relationship between Mr Black and the accused.

The court heard that Peter Allen would go round to Mr Black's house to drink alcohol and smoke cannabis.

Charges denied

Mr Findlay asked Barry Allen: "What is the attraction for a 48-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy to be friends? It isn't usual?

"The accused then said something along the lines of 'he was a beast anyway', what did you take from that?"

Barry Allen replied: "Interfering with children."

Mr Findlay added: "The name of a child molester?"

Mr Allen said: "Yes."

Peter Allen is alleged to have repeatedly punched and kicked Mr Black on the head and body before striking him with a knife or knives and a lamp standard.

He is also charged with trying to defeat the ends of justice by concealing a bloodstained jacket in a refuse bin and destroying evidence.

The trial continues. ..Source.. by BBC

Two paedophiles murdered in Italy

7-28-1999 Italy:
Two convicted paedophiles have been shot dead near their homes in Naples, shortly after being released from prison pending an appeal.

The first murder took place on Monday, when Ciro Falanga - sentenced to 13 years in jail for his part in running a paedophile ring - was shot dead by gunmen outside his shop. The following day, Pasquale Sansone was shot by two masked gunmen in his motorcycle repair workshop. He had been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

The two dead men were among 17 people, including five women, who were found guilty by a Naples court earlier this year of organising the systematic sexual abuse of children from an elementary school in a Naples suburb.

Many of the children are still suffering severe psychological problems.

Parents of the children involved were angry that those held responsible were being released from jail on a legal technicality. The prosecution failed to prove its case that the accused had drugged their victims.

Mafia link

Prosecutors say they fear other acts of revenge, as most of those released from jail are back living in the same streets as their former victims. Police believe that the killings may have been ordered by the local Mafia as a way of currying favour.

In some areas of southern Italy, summary justice is regularly dispensed by organised crime bosses. The lengthy procedures and delays of Italy's criminal law system are legendary.

In criminal cases involving children, people who take the law into their own hands often receive popular support.

A local Roman Catholic priest said that everyone knew that the convicted leaders of the paedophile gang would be killed, and blamed the Italian legal system.

"The state put guns into the killers' hands," Fr Francesco Gallo, a priest in the Naples suburb of Poverelli told reporters.

"This isn't over yet. People don't understand how people who have been convicted of such serious crimes can be free to walk around their neighbourhood. They feel exposed to all sorts of risks," Fr Gallo said. ..more.. by David Willey