Student jailed for conspiracy to assault

6-18-2009 Ireland:

Victim stabbed to death after being set up for a beating

A STUDENT has been jailed for three years for conspiring to harm a teenager, who was later stabbed to death by another teenager, in June 2009, in Killarney, Co Kerry.

Martin Ollo (19), who is originally from Estonia but who has been living in Killarney for 10 years, had pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiring with Shane Regan, Dromkerry, Fossa, Killarney, to assault Stephen Lyne causing him harm in June 2009.

Mr Lyne’s body was found on a grass margin yards from his home at Ross Road at about 1.30am on June 18th, 2009, by teenagers in a car on their way to Ross Castle.

Mr Lyne’s father Denis also came upon the scene of his son lying dead and ambulance lights flashing. He had been stabbed in the back.

From the outset the trial was told that it was Regan (then 17), who had stabbed Mr Lyne in the belief he had raped girls, including his girlfriend at the time, Jessica Klok, the previous bank holiday weekend in the Demesne.

That false rape allegation was only recanted by Ms Klok during the course of the trial.

Regan, a distant cousin of Mr Lyne, died himself in August 2010 in a fall down a set of stairs in Tralee.

He had never been charged in connection with the killing.

Ollo never knew Regan had a knife, the prosecution accepted, and his role was “to lure” Lyne to be beaten, in revenge for the false rumour, the trial was told.

Three weeks ago, after a trial which lasted two weeks and heard from 66 witnesses, a jury of six men and six women found Ollo guilty of the first conspiracy count but not guilty of the second.

Ollo had no previous convictions. He had left school before completing his Junior Cert but had returned to education. He had managed to gain entry to a third-level course and was studying for a degree in computer science, the court was told.

Ollo, Mr Lyne, Regan and others were part of a large group of teenagers of the same age hanging around together, socialising a lot, smoking cannabis and drinking while under age during the early summer of 2009, the trial was told. In some cases “trading” cannabis was involved, said John O’Sullivan, defending.

There had been disputes and threats and rumours over money owed for drugs among the teenagers, of underage drinking, cannabis being smoked and rumours circulating about alleged rapes, particularly since the previous fine bank holiday weekend in the Demesne area of Killarney.

Judge Carroll Moran had deferred sentencing overnight after an appeal by Mr O’Sullivan.

Handing down sentence yesterday, Judge Moran said: “Legitimately the point is made, the accused is the only person left to face the music in this awful experience in that the killer, Shane Regan, died in 2010.

“He had been willing to testify against Shane Regan had the latter not died and had he been prosecuted for a crime of homicide.”

The judge also noted how Ollo had been subjected to physical attacks by others “as a result of this tragic incident”.

However, he said the gravity of the offence could not be underestimated and dictated a prison sentence, even though he was not responsible directly for Mr Lyne’s death .

“Independent of the level of culpability of the accused,” the judge said it was only right he offered condolences to the Lyne family. “Stephen has lost his life in a needless attack consequent to an allegation of which he was completely innocent – insofar as that was an excuse for what happened.”

At a press conference on the steps of the courthouse yesterday, Lotte Lyne said her son’s name had been vindicated and “to a certain extent”, justice had been done.

“He was a loyal and trusting son, who never believed evil of anyone and the family were setting up a foundation in his memory.

“He was an honest and loyal young man in the prime of his life who saw no evil in anyone and trusted people without judgment.”

Ms Lyne said she had no ill-feeling towards Ollo, who had expressed remorse during the trial although not directly to the family. ..Source.. by ANNE LUCEY in Tralee

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Teen girl: 'I lied that Stephen Lyne raped me'

2-29-2012 Ireland:

KILLARNEY teen Stephen Lyne was stabbed and killed because of a false claim of rape that had been levelled against him by a teenage girl, Tralee Circuit Criminal Court has heard.

On Tuesday the trial of Estonian national Martin Ollo, who is facing charges linked to the death of Mr Lyne in June 2009, heard from witness Jessica Klok who admitted lying about being raped by Stephen Lyne.

The trial has heard that Shane Regan, who has since died, had stabbed and killed Stephen Lyne in retaliation over the rape allegation made by Jessica Klok.

Miss Klok (18) admitted in court that she had made up the rape allegation against Stephen Lyne and that she had "communicated" that lie to Shane Regan.

"I lied that Stephen Lyne had raped me," Jessica Klok told the court. "It was just a blatant, disgusting lie."

Stephen Lyne's sister Sophia Lyne gave evidence that in the days leading up to the killing Shane Regan had told her about allegations that Stephen Lyne had "dragged a girl into a forest, held a knife to her throat and raped her."

Martin Ollo, of 47 Doirin Alainn, Ballydribeen, Killarney, is being tried at Tralee Circuit Criminal Court on two counts of conspiring with Shane Regan to assault Stephen Lyne causing him harm on dates between June 15 and 18, 2009. Mr Ollo pleaded not guilty to both charges. KILLARNEY teenager Stephen Lyne was killed because of a false claim of rape that had been made against him Tralee Circuit Criminal Court has heard.

Witness Jessica Klok admitted lying about being raped by Stephen Lyne at the trial of Estonian national Martin Ollo, who is facing charges linked to the death of Mr Lyne in June 2009. Mr Ollo, a computing student at IT Tralee, with an address at 47 Doirin Alainn, Ballydribeen, Killarney, is being tried at Tralee Circuit Criminal Court on two counts of conspiring with Shane Regan to assault Stephen Lyne causing him harm on dates between June 15 and 18, 2009. Mr Ollo has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

On Tuesday the trial heard that Shane Regan, who has since died, had stabbed and killed Stephen Lyne in retaliation over a rape allegation that Jessica Klok had levelled against Mr Lyne.

Stephen Lyne's sister Sophia Lyne gave evidence that in the days leading up to the Killing Shane Regan had told her about allegations that Stephen Lyne had "dragged a girl into a forest, held a knife to her throat and raped her".

Sophia Lyne said that when he made the allegations against her brother Shane Regan was "really mad and angry."

Miss Lyne said Shane Regan had told her that he was "going to get Stephen himself for this" and that he was going to stab him.

Witness Jessica Klok (aged 18) admitted in court that she had made up a rape allegation against Stephen Lyne and that she had "communicated" that lie to Shane Regan.

"I lied that Stephen Lyne had raped me," she told the court. "It was just a blatant disgusting lie," Jessica Klok said.

Jessica Klok also told the court that Shane Regan had told her he would not get caught for the killing of Stephen Lyne as he had burned his clothes and had set someone else up to get caught for the crime.

She also said she had the impression that Martin Ollo "did nothing" to Stephen Lyne.

Another witness Matt Griffin, an acquaintance of Martin Ollo, told the trial that in the days after Mr Lyne's death Mr Ollo had told him the killing was directly linked to the rape allegation.

Matt Griffin said that he had discussed Stephen Lyne's death with Martin Ollo a few days after the killing. "Later on when he was all flustered and panicked he said it had something to do with Jessica Klok claiming a rape or something like that," he said.

Under cross-examination from defence barrister John O'sullivan, Matt Griffin told the court that Martin Ollo told him that Shane Regan had said that the allegation made by Jessica Klok was the motive behind the fatal attack. ..Source.. by SIMON BROUDER

Teen girl: 'I lied that Stephen Lyne raped me'

2-29-2012 Ireland:

KILLARNEY teen Stephen Lyne was stabbed and killed because of a false claim of rape that had been levelled against him by a teenage girl, Tralee Circuit Criminal Court has heard.

On Tuesday the trial of Estonian national Martin Ollo, who is facing charges linked to the death of Mr Lyne in June 2009, heard from witness Jessica Klok who admitted lying about being raped by Stephen Lyne.

The trial has heard that Shane Regan, who has since died, had stabbed and killed Stephen Lyne in retaliation over the rape allegation made by Jessica Klok.

Miss Klok (18) admitted in court that she had made up the rape allegation against Stephen Lyne and that she had "communicated" that lie to Shane Regan.

"I lied that Stephen Lyne had raped me," Jessica Klok told the court. "It was just a blatant, disgusting lie."

Stephen Lyne's sister Sophia Lyne gave evidence that in the days leading up to the killing Shane Regan had told her about allegations that Stephen Lyne had "dragged a girl into a forest, held a knife to her throat and raped her."

Martin Ollo, of 47 Doirin Alainn, Ballydribeen, Killarney, is being tried at Tralee Circuit Criminal Court on two counts of conspiring with Shane Regan to assault Stephen Lyne causing him harm on dates between June 15 and 18, 2009. Mr Ollo pleaded not guilty to both charges. KILLARNEY teenager Stephen Lyne was killed because of a false claim of rape that had been made against him Tralee Circuit Criminal Court has heard.

Witness Jessica Klok admitted lying about being raped by Stephen Lyne at the trial of Estonian national Martin Ollo, who is facing charges linked to the death of Mr Lyne in June 2009. Mr Ollo, a computing student at IT Tralee, with an address at 47 Doirin Alainn, Ballydribeen, Killarney, is being tried at Tralee Circuit Criminal Court on two counts of conspiring with Shane Regan to assault Stephen Lyne causing him harm on dates between June 15 and 18, 2009. Mr Ollo has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

On Tuesday the trial heard that Shane Regan, who has since died, had stabbed and killed Stephen Lyne in retaliation over a rape allegation that Jessica Klok had levelled against Mr Lyne.

Stephen Lyne's sister Sophia Lyne gave evidence that in the days leading up to the Killing Shane Regan had told her about allegations that Stephen Lyne had "dragged a girl into a forest, held a knife to her throat and raped her".

Sophia Lyne said that when he made the allegations against her brother Shane Regan was "really mad and angry."

Miss Lyne said Shane Regan had told her that he was "going to get Stephen himself for this" and that he was going to stab him.

Witness Jessica Klok (aged 18) admitted in court that she had made up a rape allegation against Stephen Lyne and that she had "communicated" that lie to Shane Regan.

"I lied that Stephen Lyne had raped me," she told the court. "It was just a blatant disgusting lie," Jessica Klok said.

Jessica Klok also told the court that Shane Regan had told her he would not get caught for the killing of Stephen Lyne as he had burned his clothes and had set someone else up to get caught for the crime.

She also said she had the impression that Martin Ollo "did nothing" to Stephen Lyne.

Another witness Matt Griffin, an acquaintance of Martin Ollo, told the trial that in the days after Mr Lyne's death Mr Ollo had told him the killing was directly linked to the rape allegation.

Matt Griffin said that he had discussed Stephen Lyne's death with Martin Ollo a few days after the killing. "Later on when he was all flustered and panicked he said it had something to do with Jessica Klok claiming a rape or something like that," he said.

Under cross-examination from defence barrister John O'sullivan, Matt Griffin told the court that Martin Ollo told him that Shane Regan had said that the allegation made by Jessica Klok was the motive behind the fatal attack. ..Source.. by SIMON BROUDER

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

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

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

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

UK- British Child Molester Priest Stabbed 24 Times in a Tripoli Apartment

7-25-2009 United Kingdom:

The British Anglican priest John Mountford who was found dead in his apartment in ‎Tripoli, Libya on 18 July was stabbed 24 times by a 15-year old boy, sources told The ‎Tripoli Post on Thursday 23 July.‎

The British priest used to contact Libyan children by chatting with them on the internet ‎telling them he would teach them English, the sources added. He would also give them ‎his local phone number in order to set up appointments for meetings.‎

The child abuser was found lying dead, in the kitchen at his apartment at Zawit Al-‎Dahhmani area by his Libyan friend who went to check on him in his apartment when ‎Mountford did not answer the repeated phone calls.‎

This Libyan friend opened the door with a key previously given to him by the dead man, ‎he later informed the police of the incident.‎

Two kids, brothers, aged between 13 and 15 were arrested when the Libyan police found ‎their phone number in the British priest’s cell phone, the sources said. They later were ‎released.‎

A number of other Libyans have also been interviewed by the police and were released. ‎The investigation is still ongoing.‎

The two brothers knew Mountford before he left to England this summer. ‎

A relative of the two brothers told The Tripoli Post that Mountford tried to approach ‎them sexually after which they decided not to meet him anymore. ‎

However, their relative also said that after his return from Britain, Muntford had ‎contacted them again via the internet and got their phone number that he seemed to have ‎lost after he earlier lost his old CIM card.‎

According to The Times, Mountford’s employers reported him missing to the British ‎Embassy in Tripoli on Thursday 19 July soon after he returned from visiting relatives in ‎Britain. The British Foreign Office was informed on Saturday night 20 July that child-‎abuser’s had been found.‎

The former St Peter's College chaplain escaped justice in the courts in Australia in 2007 ‎after child-sex charges against him were dropped.‎ ..Source.. by The Tripoli Post

China: Woman is hailed for killing her rapist

6-10-2009 China:

Deng Yujiao, a 21-year-old woman, has received heroine-like status after killing a Chinese official after rejecting his sexual advances. Murder charges have been dropped.

Deng Yujiao, a 21-year-old pedicurist from Badong (Hubei), killed a Deng Guida, a major town official in Badong county on 10 May, wounding another. The young woman said she was asked to perform special (sexual) favours and tried to defend herself against rape after she refused to comply. For many in China she has almost acquired heroine status, the symbol of a population that has grown tired of widespread corruption in government.

Deng Yujiao’s predicament began when she tried to defend herself against an official who wanted sexual favours and who pushed her onto a sofa when she refused. In fighting back she grabbed a fruit knife and fatally stabbed Deng Guida. Her arrest on murder charges sparked a public outcry because many saw her as acting in self-defence against officials who were abusing their privileges.

Last week police in fact dropped murder charges, saying she had acted in self-defence, albeit with “excessive force”. Now she is in a psychiatric hospital but those who have visited her say she is doing well.

A group of women human rights activists went to Badong to determine what happened, but they were followed by police throughout as if there was something sinister about their trip.

The case has generated a wave of sympathy across the country and the web has been swamped by messages of solidarity and sympathy for the “daughter of the people” who fought back against an important official.

Women’s groups, human rights organisations and lawyers have also come out in her favour.

Newspapers initially covered the incident but fell silent once the government decided otherwise out of embarrassment for another scandal involving public officials.

For years Chinese leaders have pledged zero tolerance against corruption. Arrests have been made and trials involving people in high places.

But for experts the war against corruption in China can only be won if citizens’ rights are protected against the frequent abuses by corrupt officials. ..Source.. by Asia News

UK- Vigilante neighbour jailed for 10 years for killing police officer who faced child porn charges

3-3-2009 United Kingdom:

A vigilante who stabbed to death a former policeman awaiting trial on child porn charges has been jailed for ten years.

Daniel Williams, 30, was found guilty of manslaughter for stabbing Geoffrey Harries 20 times in a late-night confrontation in June.

Williams admitted going clad in a black balaclava and dark military-style clothing to slash the tyres of 49-year-old Mr Harries's car on the night in question.

The defence team had argued that he stabbed the former Dyfed Powys policeman in self-defence when he was attacked by Mr Harries, having forgotten he was holding the 7in
blade combat knife.
The jury at Swansea Crown Court cleared Williams of murder on Friday.

The verdict of guilty of manslaughter came yesterday after a total of more than 25 hours of deliberation.

As it was read out, the victim's widow Elizabeth broke down in court and was comforted by relatives.

Jailing Williams today, High Court judge Justice Flaux told him: 'If you carry a knife on the streets you must expect severe punishment if that knife is used to cause the death of someone.'

Mr Harries had moved to the Dythel Park Estate in Trimsaran, West Wales, to live in the home of his elderly mother.

Residents on the estate were aware that he was awaiting trial accused of possessing more than 2,000 pornographic images of children on his computer.

A petition had been circulated by residents opposed to him living on the estate where Williams also lived, the trial heard.

Hours before the stabbing, a drunken Williams shouted insults at the police as he left a local pub to which they had been called on a separate matter.

The jury heard that he had referred to Mr Harries as a 'paedo' and warned one officer: 'He's one of your lot. If you are not going to do something about it, I will.'

The officer in question was called away to a road accident but returned to the area later and saw Williams calmly walking home.

When approached about the earlier outburst, Williams claimed he had just been 'stupid' in front of friends.

But within hours he was involved in a confrontation with Mr Harries in the street after the former police officer's wife spotted Williams outside, close to their car.

Williams insisted throughout the trial that he had been pursued by Mr Harries and attacked by him as he tried to flee the scene.

Paul Thomas QC, prosecuting, described Williams during his summing-up as a 'self-appointed vigilante'.

He told the jury it was 'nonsense' for Williams to suggest he could inflict 20 stab wounds without realising he was holding a knife.

He also pointed out that the fatal wound had been through Mr Harries' back and into one of his lungs. ..Source.. by Daily Mail Reporter

UK- Man stabbed former policeman to death boasting 'I'm going to get that paedo'.

1-29-2009 United Kingdom:

A man stabbed a former policeman facing child pornography charges to death in a vigilante-style attack after boasting he was "going to get that paedo", a court heard.

Daniel Williams, 30, dressed in a black hooded top and armed himself with a combat knife before travelling to the home of Geoffrey Harries where he launched the attack.

The court heard how Mr Williams slashed the tyres of Mr Harries car before the former officer came outside. It was then he attacked him.

Paul Thomas QC, prosecuting, said Mr Harries, 49, resigned from Dyfed Powys Police, west Wales, after being charged with downloading indecent images of children from the internet.

As he awaited trial he and his wife Elizabeth left their home in Pembrey, west Wales, to live with his mother in Trimsaran 12 miles away.

Other residents including Mr Williams, who lived seven doors away with his brother Chad, were unhappy at Mr Harries' arrival, the court heard.

On the night of the attack, police stopped the brothers as they left a pub and Chad was arrested for drinking and driving, the court heard.

Mr Williams became agitated, and he alluded to Mr Harries' address, before shouting: "That paedo is going to get it," said Mr Thomas. "I tell you I am going to get him."

Police were sufficiently concerned to put a patrol car near Mr Harries' mother's home. It left after 30 minutes because it seemed "quiet and calm."

The court heard Mr Williams changed into a black hooded top, and armed himself with a combat knife. Mrs Harries looked out of the bedroom window to see Mr Williams slashing the tyres of her husband's car.

Mr Harries, wearing slippers and glasses and suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure, went outside. "Within a few minutes he was bleeding to death," said Mr Thomas.

After his arrest Williams denied, in 12 interviews, being involved.

But when tests showed Mr Harries' blood on his clothing he "changed his defence" and claimed he had been defending himself and had forgotten he had had a knife in his hand.

Mr Thomas said Mr Harries' arrest was "irrelevant" to the case. "It is understandably repulsive in the minds of right thinking people.

"What images he may have had, however flawed an individual he was, Geoffrey Harries was still human and no-one had the right to kill him.

"Society rightly condemns anyone who has such images on his computer. Had he lived he would have received the appropriate punishment from a court of law.

"That is the only way a civilised society can operate. The other is the way to lawlessness," added Mr Thomas.

Mr Williams denies murder

The trial continues. ..News Source.. by Richard Savill

UK- Town man’s life sentence for brutal murder of sex offender

1-28-2009 United Kingdom:

A MACCLESFIELD dad of three has been jailed for life for brutally murdering his 60-year-old flatmate after learning he was a convicted paedophile.

Ex-butcher Lea Mason, 33, formerly of Turnock Street, will serve a minimum of 17 and a half years after launching a "violent and frenzied attack" on his victim.

Mason used knives to stab, and a frying pan to bludgeon, Darren Presley – until they bent or broke – then stamped on his head, which left "huge gaping holes" and soaked the killer’s trainers in blood, a judge heard.

Mason and co-defendant Stephen Brian Kidd, 37, originally from Stoke, both pleaded guilty to murder at Preston Crown Court and were sentenced last Thursday (January 22).

Mason was a thug well-known to police in Macclesfield through a string of violent offences stretching back 15 years.

He admitted the murder after being captured by police in Blackpool. ..News Source.. by Pete Bainbridge

UK- Paedophile found stabbed to death in caravan home

UPDATED: See below..

12-12-2008 United Kingdom:

London A 52-year-old man who was understood to be a convicted paedophile has been found stabbed to death in southwest London.

Andrew Cunningham died from multiple wounds to the head, neck and chest at his caravan in Wandsworth, which was parked at the haulage depot where he worked. Stab wounds were also found to his genitals, a police source told The Sun. “He was loathed by a large number of people so we have a lot of potential suspects,” the source said.

Cunningham spent four months in jail in 2001 for raping a girl aged under 13 and was arrested again in 2002, although no charges were pressed. He had reportedly been targeted by vigilantes before. His former house had been set on fire soon after he was released from jail, the paper said. ..News Source.. by The Times



Convicted paedophile stabbed to death in 'vigilante' attack

A murder hunt is under way after a former child sex offender was found brutally stabbed to death.

The victim, thought to be Andrew Cunningham, 52, who had been convicted of raping a schoolgirl, died from multiple knife wounds to the head, neck and chest.
He also suffered ‘non-fatal injuries’, according to the police, which was said to include damage to his genitals.

The truck driver was found in blood in his caravan where he worked at the Riverside Haulage company in Wandsworth, South West London.

The Metropolitan Police said the gruesome discovery was made at 8am on Wednesday.
Cunningham’s employer, who would not give his name, found the body and said there was no sign of forced entry.

He added: 'He had a stab wound in his neck and there was blood everywhere. The bed was soaked with it and his head was lying in it.'

‘The post-mortem revealed non-fatal injuries to other parts of his body but we are not discussing these further for operational reasons,’ a police spokesman said.
Detective Chief Inspector Nick Scola, leading the investigation, said: ‘We’re currently at an early stage in our inquiries and are keeping an open mind about the circumstances of this man’s death.

‘I would ask anyone who was in the area last night or in the early hours of this morning and saw or heard anything suspicious to get in touch with us.’

Cunningham had been targeted by hate mobs who had yelled ‘Die, paedo, die’ at him, according to The Sun.

A police source told the paper: ‘He was loathed by a large number of people so we have a lot of potential suspects.’

Cunningham, a father of five estranged from a former partner, spent four months in prison in 2001 for raping a schoolgirl under 13.

He was arrested again in 2003 but no charges were pressed.

Soon afterwards vigilantes set fire to his former home in a Wandsworth street after it was claimed he was grooming children.

And drinkers at a pub recently accused him of fondling a barmaid’s two-year-old daughter.

The police source said his murder was ‘almost certainly connected to new offences rather than those that took place in 2001’.

Detectives, who believe more than one person was involved in the killing, reportedly had to identify him using fingerprints because none of his relatives would go to the morgue.

Officers are studying CCTV film from around the murder scene. And they appealed for anyone who saw anything suspicious to come forward. ..News Source.. by Daily Mail Reporter



Police 'no nearer to solving' Earlsfield sex offender Andrew Cunningham murder

7-17-2009 United Kingdom:

A 50-year-old man was arrested in connection with the murder of Earlsfield sex offender Andrew Cunningham - but was later released.

The arrest took place at 9am on Thursday, July 9, but he was then bailed while police continued their inquiries.

Despite a £20,000 reward issued in June for information leading to the killer, police say they still have nothing concrete to go on.

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Scola said: “We are still appealing for witnesses. We are no nearer to solving the case.”

Mr Cunningham, who was convicted of unlawful sex with a 15-year-old girl in 2001, was last seen at 6.10pm on Tuesday, December 9, outside his caravan in Riverside Road.

The 52-year-old was found dead the next day with his genitals mutilated and with stab wounds to the head, neck and chest.

Police later said raiders had ransacked the caravan, opening Christmas presents and stealing a wallet containing up to £6,000.

A Scottish £100 note was also missing, but no far no-one has come forward to say they have seen it.

In June an audio clip was played on Crimewatch but it lead to yet another dead end.

Although locals assumed the murder was connected with Mr Cunningham’s sex conviction, police have said they believe it was a burglary that turned violent.

Officers are still looking at CCTV footage, forensic tests from the caravan and the background and lifestyle of the victim.

Two people were arrested at the beginning of the investigation, but later released.

The third man was bailed to return to a south London police station in early September. ..Source.. by This Is Local London

UK- SEX CON KILLER HUNT

6-10-2005 United Kingdom:

A CONVICTED sex offender has been found stabbed to death at home.

Gerald Furlong, 67, was discovered in his flat with multiple knife wounds.

Police had not ruled out a vigilante attack as the motive for murder.

The delivery driver from Enfield, North London, had been given a three-year probation order in 1992 for five counts of indecent assault. His body was found on Sunday.

Det Chief Insp John MacDonald said: "We are looking at all possibilities.

"The conviction is quite historic and it's not necessarily the motive for this brutal attack." ..News Source.. by Mirror.co.uk

Primal rage: 'pedo' stomped to death

7-22-2008 Australia:

A convicted pedophile represented everyone who had ever abused the young Adelaide man who killed him in a primal rage, a court was told today.

Timothy Hemi Schaefer, 19, went to the home of Jeffrey Edwin Payne, 56, in Adelaide in April 2007, called him a "pedo", punched him and stabbed him in the leg.

Drunk and taunting his victim, Schaefer followed Payne across parklands before strangling and stabbing him and stomping on his head, the South Australian Supreme Court has heard after Schaefer pleaded guilty to murder.

Prosecutor Jane Powell said there was an element of "sanguinary" to the crime, with Schaefer stopping to smoke a cigarette during the brutal and prolonged attack.

Schaefer had never expressed remorse for killing Mr Payne, who was an extremely thin man, weighing just 47 kilograms, with ulcers and emphysema, she said.

"In fact, during his interview with police he referred to Mr Payne as a sack of shit," Ms Powell said.

"He would have had to hear and feel the sounds of the bones fracturing under foot."

Schaefer's lawyer Greg Mead said there was no clear motive for the crime.

But it appeared that, in Schaefer's drunk and enraged state, Payne had come to represent all the people who ever had abused him.

"He snapped ... he said to police, 'I just got heaps angry,' " Mr Mead said.

One of nine children, Schaefer suffered "a living hell" at the hands of a violent, alcoholic father who beat him every day, his lawyer said.

After his mother left, his father would abandon the children for weeks at a time, leaving them at the mercy of two friends who would sexually abuse some of them.

"He was fed rotten meat, his father would have to scrape the slime off," Mr Mead said.

"It was the cruelty and brutality of those early years that led to this almost primal expression of rage."

Judge John Sulan said the crime had "all the characteristics of a frenzied attack" and Schaefer could expect to be jailed for a long time.

He also said Schaefer had been "destroyed" by his appalling early life.

He ordered a neurological report to investigate possible damage from Schaefer being beaten with hammers in an earlier, unrelated attack.

Schaefer, who faces a possible life term, was remanded in custody for sentencing at a date to be set. ..News Source.. by smh.com

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Abused teenager jailed for murdering pedophile

10-7-2008 Australia:

STATE welfare authorities "failed" an abused and damaged teenager who went on to viciously murder a convicted pedophile, the Supreme Court has heard.

Timothy Hemi Schaefer was today described as a "damaged little boy" whose pent-up anger erupted in a prolonged and barbaric attack on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Edwin Payne, 56.

Schaefer, 20, will spend at least 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to Payne's murder outside his Northfield home in April 2007.

The convicted sex offender had been throttled unconscious, stabbed in the leg and face and had his skull crushed in the late-night attack.

Schaefer took time to smoke a cigarette during the brutal assault and later described his victim as a "sack of shit" during a police interview.

Justice John Sulan said Schaefer and a number of other boys had regularly gone to Payne's home in the years leading up to the murder.

"For a number of years (Payne) was regularly visited by young boys and he provided them with cigarettes alcohol and marijuana in exchange for sexual favours," Justice Sulan said.

"He had convictions for offences of a sexual nature against teenage boys and had been imprisoned in the past for sex offences against young boys."

Payne was mentioned during sentencing submissions for convicted Snowtown serial killer James Vlassakis, who is serving a life jail term for four murders.

Justice Sulan said Schaefer was drunk and angry when he went to Payne's home on the night of the killing and found there were "sexual connotations behind the attack."

Justice Sulan said Schaefer had endured a chaotic and dysfunctional childhood with an alcoholic mother and an abusive father, who routinely beat his five children and fed them rotten meat.

The judge referred to a letter from Schaefer's aunt, who described him as "a bright and intelligent child who grew up in circumstances of chaos and dysfunction" and became a "damaged little boy."

"In my opinion the state failed him as a child," the letter said.

Justice Sulan said Schaefer's problems were compounded when he suffered serious head injuries when assaulted with a hammer as a 17-year old.

He said Schaefer needed intensive psychiatric help to overcome his many problems.

"Sadly, it appears that you will not receive the treatment that you require while you are in custody," he said. ..News Source.. by ANDREW DOWDELL, COURT REPORTER

UK- Man murdered his brother over sex abuse claim

7-10-2008 United Kingdom:

A MAN who murdered his brother because he believed he was a sex offender has been given a life sentence at the High Court in Glasgow.

David Thomson, 38, admitted killing 35-year-old John Thomson at the home they shared in Carstairs Junction in January.

He strangled his brother with a boot lace and stabbed him 15 times after an alleged confession to a sex offence.

Thomson was told that he would serve a minimum of 14 years for the murder.

The court heard John Thomson had allegedly sexually abused a young girl 20 years ago.

Defence QC Neil Murray told the court that Thomson claimed his brother, who had always previously denied the allegation, confessed to him that night that he had committed the offence.

The defence lawyer said Thomson, who described his brother as “his best friend” was profoundly upset by his death and “accepts what he did was totally inexcusable”.

Judge Lord Mackay of Drumadoon told Thomson that the only possible sentence was life imprisonment.

He said if it had not been for his early guilty plea he would have fixed the punishment part at 17 years. ..News Source.. by George Topp, Lanark & Carluke

UK- Former policeman on child pornography charges stabbed to death

A former police constable who was stabbed to death outside his home had faced pressure from villagers to leave his home after being charged with child pornography offences, it has been disclosed.
6-9-2008 United Kingdom:

Geoffrey Harries, 49, appeared in court in May accused of possessing more than 2,000 indecent images of children, and was due to stand trial next week.

He was stabbed at about 1.45am on Saturday in the street outside his home in the village of Trimsaran, west Wales. He died later in hospital.

Dyfed Powys Police are questioning a 30-year-old man on suspicion of murder.

A neighbour said residents in the village had drawn up a petition demanding he leave, and handed it to him and to police. Mr Harries, who was married to his wife Elizabeth, and was on bail, moved in with his widowed mother in the village as he awaited trial. He was said to have been driven out of a previous address.

Neighbours said Mr Harries had gone out to confront two men who were allegedly slashing his car tyres, and was stabbed several times in the chest.

One said: "He heard a noise and ran out and confronted the men. I don't believe they or any members of their families were ever victims of any crimes committed by Harries.

"But people here felt very strongly that they did not want him living in the area. There are many young families here.

"Some of the locals signed a petition and handed it to him and the police. It demanded his immediate departure from the village, but he refused to go.

"Some of the locals even went to the house on one or more occasions threatening him."

Another resident Christine Davies said: "Many people felt uneasy about the fact that Harries was living in their midst. I was talking to people when I took the bus today and some were saying 'Good riddance'."

She added: "I feel sorry for his mother above all. She is a nice woman and does not deserve this."

Adrian Jones, a local cockle-picker, said: "There is a feeling that he only got as good as he deserved if he is guilty."

Police are trying to establish a motive for the attack. A spokesman said: "The motivation is part of our investigation."

Mr Harries resigned from the Dyfed Powys force in March, after his arrest. He appeared at Cardiff Magistrates' Court in May charged with 15 offences of making indecent images of children between May 2005 and December 2007. He was also facing one charge of possessing indecent images on Nov 26 last year.

He was alleged to have had 2,082 images on his computer. The court heard nine of the images found on the computer were classed as level five, the most serious on the scale.

Mr Harries was released on bail pending a trial which was due to start at Cardiff Crown Court next Monday.

The case was brought following an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. ..News Source.. by Richard Savill



DID VIGILANTE KILL PAEDO CHARGE COP?

6-10-2008 United Kingdom:

An ex-PC accused of child porn offences has been stabbed to death in a feared vigilante attack.

Married Geoffrey Harries, 49, was knifed repeatedly in the chest as he investigated an early morning disturbance in his drive.

The officer, hounded from his previous home, was due in crown court next week after being found with 2,000 indecent images of children.

It is now suspected he may have been murdered by an attacker revolted by his alleged crimes.

AdvertisementAn elderly neighbour who did not want to be named said yesterday: "A lot of people think that he was targeted, especially because he was a former policeman. It makes you think it was not a random attack."

Resident Christine Davies added: "If he was really guilty of what he was accused, a lot of people round here are saying 'good riddance'."

Harries - who resigned from the Dyfed-Powys force, West Wales, three months ago - had 2,082 child porn images on his police computer.

After being charged with making and possessing images he faced such hostility from locals in his home village of Pembrey, Carmarthen, he moved to Trimsaran three miles away.

But the stain of suspicion followed him and a protest meeting was arranged by residents "uncomfortable" that he was living alongside them. Harries was killed before the meeting could go ahead. A petition was already calling on him to quit the area. One neighbour said: "No one likes having an alleged paedophile in your street."

Harries was attacked early on Saturday. He died five hours later.

Yesterday his home was taped off as police examined the scene.

A family spokesman said last night: "This tragedy marks the end of many months of anguish and heartache.

"Geoff was a gentle man and loving husband and son. At the time of his death he wasn't convicted of any offences and we mourn his loss."

Police said yesterday there was no evidence so far of vigilantism. A man in his 30s is being questioned. ..News Source.. by Geoffrey Lakeman

Canada- Man returns to jail for killing inmate

6-8-2008 Canada:

Attacker's six-year sentence for stabbing likely to be served in isolation, Crown says

A 37-year-old man, released from prison in January after serving a lengthy sentence for robberies, has been returned for another six years, this time for the fatal stabbing of a fellow inmate at Joyceville Institution two-and-a-half years ago.

Dennis George pleaded guilty in Kingston's Ontario Court of Justice last week to manslaughter in the death of LeRoy Paupst.

George's lawyer, John Dillon, and assistant Crown attorney Ross Drummond joined in recommending the six-year sentence to the judge.

Drummond told Justice Rommel Masse that George was an early suspect in the stabbing, but investigators with the joint-forces penitentiary squad were unable to find enough evidence to charge him.

It wasn't until after his release on Jan. 21 and subsequent arrest on a criminal harassment charge that the case was made for them - by George.

Drummond said George called the penitentiary squad from a London, Ont., jail in February and confessed to the killing, telling them "he got into it with Mr. Paupst and he died."

He claimed then, according to Drummond, that "he wanted to deal with what happened and get on with his life."

Paupst, a convicted sex offender less than a month away from release, was stabbed and died from massive blood loss on New Year's Day, 2005. It was a single puncture wound that severed an artery, according to the Crown, contrary to early reports that Paupst had been stabbed a number of times in the abdomen.

Drummond told the judge that Joyceville at the time had "open inmate movement" around 5:30 p. m., which meant virtually the entire prison population - 440 men - was in flux and moving between their ranges and recreation areas.

He told the judge that Corrections

staff noticed Paupst stumbling along a corridor between a prison courtyard and an interior recreation area around 5:55 p. m. and saw him collapse near a small canteen. They went to his aid and subsequently had him rushed to Kingston General Hospital by ambulance. But Paupst was pronounced dead at 7:03 p. m.

Masse was told that an autopsy determined that a single stab wound had cut into an artery and he'd bled to death internally.

Investigators immediately secured the video surveillance tapes from cameras overlooking the courtyard, where the attack took place, but Drummond said the film only captured the backs of two inmates running away. One of them appeared to be the same height and the same build as George, he added, but the images weren't conclusive.

Masse also heard that prison staff recovered the weapon - a bolt, ground to a point at one end - discarded on the ground close to the attack site.

The shank was actually one of about a dozen homemade weapons recovered in the search that followed the fatal stabbing, but Drummond said it was established as the one used to kill Paupst when the Centre for Forensic Science identified his DNA on it.

Drummond said George was considered a prime suspect because he has a history of assaults on sex offenders.

Drummond told Masse a second DNA sample was recovered from the bolt and while George couldn't be excluded as the donor, there were insufficient alleles to determine the DNA was his.

Paupst, a 47-year-old auto mechanic, was nearing the end of the five-year sentence he received in St. Thomas, Ont., for sexual crimes against women and girls committed between 1986 and 1998.

His victims ranged in age from 11 to 48 and a number of his crimes were distinguished by gratuitous cruelty.

National Parole Board records indicate that he kneed one of his victims, a pregnant woman, in the stomach; bit a teenage victim's breast hard enough to draw blood; and held a knife inches from the throat of a female co-worker after choking her.

He also required his victims to testify at his trial, then declined to question any of them and changed his pleas to guilty at the last minute. It was a manoeuvre his trial judge characterized as "some sort of perverse last thrust at them, to put them through further misery."

It wasn't disclosed in court whether George knew any of the details of Paupst's crimes, but the judge was told he knew his victim was a sex offender.

Defence lawyer Dillon told the judge that his client claims his attack was precipitated by a conversation he'd overheard between Paupst and another sex offender. The men were talking in a prison bathroom, Dillon said, and his client heard Paupst talking about his approaching release and describing unpleasant things he intended to do to the victims who'd testified against him.

People in the institution see his client as "a good guy," Dillon told Masse, and overhearing that conversation placed him in an untenable situation.

Dillon said George couldn't report what he'd heard to the authorities without being labelled a "rat," but George views himself as a protector of the weak, according to his lawyer.

"He has a need to protect weaker people and he felt these victims were weak," Dillon said.

It was in that context, Dillon argued, that George confronted Paupst "and admits stabbing him." His client didn't intend to kill, he said, and thought he was stabbing Paupst "in a place that was unlikely to cause death." As it turned out, "it was a crap shoot and he died."

Drummond, in explaining the joint recommendation, told the judge that George's six years will be longer and harder than the time he's used to serving.

By confessing to the killing and admitting his problem with sex offenders, the Crown told the court George has created significant housing problems for himself.

"Virtually every prison in the [federal] system is an integrated system," he explained, so it's likely George will have to be isolated from the general population.

Drummond said it's also likely, though not certain, that the National Parole Board will make him serve every day of his six-year sentence.

Masse, noting the recommendation before him, turned to George.

"You took a life," he said. "I'm of the view, sir, that [six years] is somewhat light."

He accepted it, however, considering that "the Crown, the authorities had nowhere near enough evidence against you."

Masse said: "You turned yourself in. I give you great credit for that, sir."

He was also influenced, he said, by the likelihood George will serve much of his sentence in isolation and will probably have to serve all of it.

Masse made a recommendation that George receive psychological counselling to deal with his anger-control problem in the presence of sex offenders. ..News Source.. by SUE YANAGISAWA WHIG-STANDARD COURT REPORTER