'He killed girlfriend due to emotional pain', court told

[vifferman]

Agreed - and yet his defence counsel went through the motions of attacking the victim and her family.

I often wonder how well these lawyers sleep at night.

It's a job. They are working on behalf of their client, to do their best to present the case that they have agreed with their client.

You're all forgetting: this has NOTHING to do with justice, and everything to do with our legal system and the process of the law. Plus they deal with so much crap, they must get inured to it after a while. Oh yeah - there's also the money.

[Goblin]

Agreed - and yet his defence counsel went through the motions of attacking the victim and her family.

I often wonder how well these lawyers sleep at night.

I too often wonder how defence lawyers can live with themselves. Perhaps that's why most of them are so overweight...the only comfort they can find in life is food. Can you imagine successfully defending a murderer or paedophile?

[ready4whatever]

Do what they do in China. kill him and take his organs for people who deserve them. thats why china is ahead and wealthy, they dont spend millions on criminals like NZ does

[mister.koz]

"Emotional pain"? jeez thats as excusing as "i was on P"

Its a reason, not an excuse.

If ya can't handle your emotions and you allow yourself to get into a position to loose control then you are still guilty.

Admittedly "i did it because i lost control" is better than "i did it because i am pure evil".

How can someone honestly believe that putting themselves in a situation where they break the law excuses them from the repercussions?

What next? "no officer, i was speeding because i was annoyed at my boss, you can keep your ticket and here's a lawsuit for badgering me about it"

[vifferman]

Its a reason, not an excuse.

Are you sure you've got that the right way round?

The guts of the matter is, this will probably be changed. It should never have been part of the defence, and at most just considered as part of sentencing as a mitigating circumstance.

[mister.koz]

Are you sure you've got that the right way round?

The guts of the matter is, this will probably be changed. It should never have been part of the defence, and at most just considered as part of sentencing as a mitigating circumstance.

Good point... what i am trying to say is that it doesn't excuse his actions, he allowed himself to get into that position.

[slofox]

If I had killed everyone who has given me "emotional pain" the world would be half empty....hmmmm spose it would keep overpopulation in check at that...

[Mully]

Agreed - and yet his defence counsel went through the motions of attacking the victim and her family.

I often wonder how well these lawyers sleep at night.

I wonder what his lawyer was thinking, presumably having met the smug prick, letting him take the stand. That probably assisted in convicting him.

The first day was him gloating about how much smarter he was than the rest of the world. The balance of the week was the smart arse glibly defending his "superior" intellect and saying how, while he was much smarter than he was, she played him like a $5 ukelele, thereby forcing him to give her a good stabbing.

[vifferman]

When's the movie due out?

And the book of the film?



Actual, the whole story's kinda boring and sordid. In this case, given there was never any doubt that he was the culprit, a bullet would've been SO much cheaper and easier, albeit less entertaining for the rubberneckers (and less harrowing for the families). But perhaps "The Death of 216 Cuts" would've been more appropriate as a sentence/outcome/penalty.

[Badjelly]

Are you sure you've got that the right way round?

The guts of the matter is, this will probably be changed. It should never have been part of the defence, and at most just considered as part of sentencing as a mitigating circumstance.

That's the one good thing that is likely to come out of this trial: the proposal to remove the partial defence of provocation to the charge of murder has been revived.

People get provoked and commit crimes all the time. This is considered in sentencing. Only for murder does it change the name of the offence. I believe this is a hang-over from the days when there was a mandatory death sentence for murder.

That said, Clayton Weatherston is not the best advertisement (to put it mildly) for the defence of provocation. I think we can all think of situations where we might have more sympathy for the accused. "I found this guy torturing and raping my 5-year old daughter so I shot him." Hmmm?

[ManDownUnder]

I reckon someone else will.

+1, and I think it will come at the hands of someone who disagrees they're not as good as he is, doesn't like being looked down upon, and is will to prove just how tough he is.

What's that saying... something like "Many a nose has been broken by the owner's mouth"? I heard Billy Connelly say it once... very wise words.

[Badjelly]

+1, and I think it will come at the hands of someone who disagrees they're not as good as he is, doesn't like being looked down upon, and is will to prove just how tough he is.

Someone who's provoked by his attitude?

[ManDownUnder]

Lets not be silly and try and align my comment of shooting this fucker in anyway to the case you mentioned. They are so far apart you do yourself a disservice by trying to force a comparison, The fucker was seen to stab her to death, and never denied doing so.

Understood and agreed. My focus was on one law for all and I personally don't agree with the death penalty. That is just my opinion however and as I age I'm finding more room for the possibility of it.

I freely admit this appears to a pretty black and white case of "he dunnit". He admitted it, he was caught doing it... etc. I don't think more complete evidence would be needed... or even possible.

[imdying]

No worries - I'm not sure if you saw this.

Because there are occasions that won't work either... but that's a whole other argument, separate thread etc

Yup, fair enough too.

[imdying]

I reckon he will top himself before Christmas. Remember this post...

That would be the ideal situation...

Metal box with two 3/16" holes, loaded pistol, weld up the door, drop it from a Herc, and never look back.

He can either top himself quickly, or enjoy the anticipation of a nice slow drowning. Either way, we'll never find out which one he opted for, not that we'd care in any case.