These kids don't deserve to live

[Gené and Tonic]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6923987.stm

Man 'died at hands of young mob'

A man died when he and his son were pelted with sticks and stones as they played cricket, a court has heard.

The Old Bailey heard the pair were attacked by a jeering mob of children aged between 10 and 13.

Ernest Norton, 67, was at Erith Leisure Centre in south-east London in February 2006 when he was hit on the head by a missile and suffered a heart attack.

Prosecutors said the five accused, who deny manslaughter and violent disorder, were jointly responsible for the death.

The court heard Mr Norton was playing cricket on an outdoor pitch with his 17-year-old son James when up to 15 youths gathered at the fence and began shouting abuse.

David Fisher QC, prosecuting, said: "As the abuse worsened, the group began throwing stones and pieces of wood at father and son.

"Ernest Norton was struck at least twice on the head by these missiles.

"One of the stones hit him on the left side of his face causing a fracture to his cheekbone."

It was their joint course of conduct, quite probably with others, that caused his death

David Fisher QC, prosecutor

He suffered a heart attack and, despite receiving medical attention at the scene, died later that afternoon.

Mr Fisher said the mob, including the five accused, ran off after the "unnecessary, pointless and random attack".

The court was told a young girl had witnessed the attack and named a boy who had thrown a large stone, the size of half a brick, which hit Mr Norton on the head.

Jurors heard Mr Norton, who lived with his wife and son in Erith, had undergone a triple bypass operation in 1977 but had a "fit and active lifestyle".

The prosecution said he was in good health on the day he died but "the stress and trauma of abuse and a physical attack would make him vulnerable to a heart attack".

Those accused include two brothers aged 12 and 13, one boy aged 13 and two 14-year-olds. Mr Fisher said "their youth is no defence".

"They were quite old enough to know that to abuse Ernest Norton and his son was wrong and that to throw stones and pieces of wood at them was wrong.

"It was their joint course of conduct, quite probably with others, that caused his death."

The case continues.

[Blue Bob]

Hope they put them away for years to teach them a lesson otherwise just think what they will be like when they get to twenty.

[Gené and Tonic]

Well they've already commited murder/manslaughter

They're going to have to go some to beat that

[Jon the Hat]

Well they've already commited murder/manslaughter

They're going to have to go some to beat that

This is going to be an interesting verdict. I'm not convinced they will be found guilty of Murder or Manslaughter. This will hinge on whether the Jury believe it is reasonable to expect that if you throw sticks and stones at someone they will fall over and die. Is it reasonable to expect someone playing cricket to be healthy enough to survive such an attack, given he might have been hit by a cricket ball?

What disturbs me is that if he had not had a heart condition and died these kids would probably not even be on trial for anything at all.

[THEBIGJOHNSTEADER;]

This is going to be an interesting verdict. I'm not convinced they will be found guilty of Murder or Manslaughter. This will hinge on whether the Jury believe it is reasonable to expect that if you throw sticks and stones at someone they will fall over and die. Is it reasonable to expect someone playing cricket to be healthy enough to survive such an attack, given he might have been hit by a cricket ball?

What disturbs me is that if he had not had a heart condition and died these kids would probably not even be on trial for anything at all.

I was reading this earlier, I remember when I was that age and I would never think of throwing sticks/stones/rocks at anyone particularly an adult playing with his kid. It's disgusting and it's difficult to contemplate the lack of respect so many youths of today have. Things have escalated dramatically and it's time the Government started to make examples of such little ****ers. Set the dogs on them!!

[Alexikokopops]

This is going to be an interesting verdict. I'm not convinced they will be found guilty of Murder or Manslaughter. This will hinge on whether the Jury believe it is reasonable to expect that if you throw sticks and stones at someone they will fall over and die. Is it reasonable to expect someone playing cricket to be healthy enough to survive such an attack, given he might have been hit by a cricket ball?

What disturbs me is that if he had not had a heart condition and died these kids would probably not even be on trial for anything at all.

Yes, it's understandable if they don't get murder for that reason, but surely that's what involuntary manslaughter is?

They didn't intend to kill teh chap but they still did.

[lookwhaticando]

You don't throw stones at people. You just don't.

Whether or not the bloke would have survived an attack, given that he was playing cricket (and assumed to be healthy as a result) should be immaterial.

Their intention was clearly to cause a nuisance, and they've gone and killed a bloke. They didn't intend to kill him, perhaps, but they at least intended to disturb or harm the people they hurled sticks and stones at. They killed a man because they decided to throw stuff at him... that's got to be properly punishable.

[Daggers]

I've come to the opinion that the victim should be allowed to dictate the level of punishment upon a guilty verdict.

Justice should be restorative - if the wife wishes to forgive them then it should be her decision...if she wants them to have their flesh peeled from their bones then who are we to argue.

It's high time that the victims of crime were considered more and that the rights of the 'criminal' curbed somewhat.

It is said "that it is better 10 men go free than one innocent man is convicted" [Blackstone's ratio]...I'm not liking those odds anymore.

[Macdaddy]

A guy near me was pushed out of a moving car by a drug dealer and died of multiple fractures. The drug dealer got 7 years!! They reckon he'll be out in 3! There is no justice anymore, continually overcrowded prisons won't help it any either. The punishment no longer fits the crime.

[Daggers]

A guy near me was pushed out of a moving car by a drug dealer

What were you doing in the car?

(Unless you were the drug dealer in which case can I have 1/4 of black and three wraps of speed please)

[Brainy]

2 kids stopped an ambulance. One lay on the bonnet whilst the other did something else.

The woman died on her arrival at hospital.

Perhaps somebody can find the story on the BBC as I cant find it, nor explain it very well.

[Daggers]

... I cant find it, nor explain it very well.

You're doing much better than the post in User Help and Suggestions

[Barry Trotter]

I blame the parents, they need locking up as much as the kids do.

[Jon the Hat]

You don't throw stones at people. You just don't.

Whether or not the bloke would have survived an attack, given that he was playing cricket (and assumed to be healthy as a result) should be immaterial.

Their intention was clearly to cause a nuisance, and they've gone and killed a bloke. They didn't intend to kill him, perhaps, but they at least intended to disturb or harm the people they hurled sticks and stones at. They killed a man because they decided to throw stuff at him... that's got to be properly punishable.

There is a clear causal link, no doubt. They should go down. I just have a nasty feeling they won't.

[DB11]

How can they deny it? They should be tortured, then fed to dogs then killed.

[Zingari]

There is a clear causal link, no doubt. They should go down. I just have a nasty feeling they won't.

agreed ; not much doubt i would say

[THEBIGJOHNSTEADER;]

How can they deny it? They should be tortured, then fed to dogs then killed.

I think I find myself agreeing with DB11 on this one

[Brainy]

There was a story a few weeks back where a woman chucked her cat up and down the stairs for her own entertainment.

For a while now, I've felt that somebody should do the same to her.

Harsh? I don't care.

[Kent Fox]

I think I find myself agreeing with DB11 on this one

Agreed.

There was a story a few weeks back where a woman chucked her cat up and down the stairs for her own entertainment.

For a while now, I've felt that somebody should do the same to her.

Harsh? I don't care.

Not harsh at all.

I call it Justice.

[Gené and Tonic]

There was a story a few weeks back where a woman chucked her cat up and down the stairs for her own entertainment.

For a while now, I've felt that somebody should do the same to her.

Harsh? I don't care.

i hope the cat didn't die

and yes, they should do the same to her, except 'put her down' afterwards

[Ashley]

Thats sick

Some horrible people on earth

What made them do it

I blame it on the parents

[Brainy]

i hope the cat didn't die

and yes, they should do the same to her, except 'put her down' afterwards

I dont think it did

And the same stands for idiots who tie animals up to trees and stick a firework up there arse.

[Alexikokopops]

I blame the parents, they need locking up as much as the kids do.

Thats sick

Some horrible people on earth

What made them do it

I blame it on the parents

Circles, squares and I blame the parents.

[Dames]

Half the kids today need a real good beating.

I reckon they should form some sort of squad and they can start by purging the city centre of these vermin.

[Raj]

Kids don't give a fcuk nowadays...they aint scared of teachers at school,and are not disciplined at home by parents.

When i was at School,we WERE shit scared of some of our teachers.

Its the youth of today...mind you does EVERY generation say that about the next one

Still i'd lock the bastards up and throw away the key.....but with good behaviour they will be out on parole after 2 years because the prisons are overcrowded!