DCI Gene Hunt

They've been giving her those drugs for the last 12 - 18 months, so that wasn't exclusive to the "kidnap" although it would be difficult to actually prove who administered the drugs over that period.

j4ckos mate

will get 9 and serve 7.

Seine

Sentences are automatically commuted to 50% for good behaviour, she'll get 7 years, her time on remand will be counted and she'll be out in around 3 years. Donovan will get 6 years as he fessed up.

richs2891

If she has to be kept alive - and I really cant see why - then at least ten years in jail and compulsory sterilization - as I would with all offenses involving children so they cant have any more.
But would prefer an option where could be shipped of some where and left to fend for herself.
Richard

ScoobLou

iTrader: (21)

Why were they giving her drugs a year before the kidnap

DCI Gene Hunt

Control, hyper-active, cheaper than a baby sitter?

Dan W

I reckon they're looking at about 15 years.

She's marked for life so will probably be given a new identity on leaving prison courtesy of us tax payers.

For that reason we should just chuck her in the Thames and be done with it.

JTaylor

Davyboy, you never shirk your duty to cut through the nonsense and tell the truth.

The (repugnant) women should get whatever the tariff is for the crimes she's committed. Whoever said life should calm down a bit, the poster sounds excitable and is clearly getting a bit carried away with it all.

David Lock

I suppose it will need to be a lot less than the Baby "P" case.

Awful though it was the Matthews crime doesn't bear comparison. dl

Dan W

What if the rozzers hadn't found shannon when they did? What if they were still looking for her?

How far would these scumbags have gone?

Lee247

Anyone know when the verdict is to be announced. I want to put some flags up if it is a very long sentence

Dan W

According to the British Biascasting Corporation the courts have yet to set a date for sentencing

amahrap

Just a devils advocate type question for the legally minded but........

How can the parent/leagal gardian of a child be charged with kidnapping their own ward? I know that it was morally wrong but can't quite see how it was legally wrong as the child was in the care of another adult with the parents consent. (not trying to start a scoobynet fall out but i am just interested out of curiosity) I know that she is probably guilty of lots of things (not least wasting police time) but was this actually/technically kidnap??

Any lawyers out there in the know?

DCI Gene Hunt

To take somebody away in an attempt to secure a ransom, I'd say so.....

fatherpierre

There doesn't need to be a ransom:

Kidnapping is a common law offence, last defined by Lord Brandon in R v D
[1984] AC 778, 800 as "The taking or carrying away of one person by another, by force or by fraud, without the consent of the person taken or carried away and without lawful excuse."

False imprisonment is also a common law offence that is simply the "unlawful
and intentional or reckless detention of a person against his will" (or near
enough). Note as opposed to kidnapping there is no need to establish any
"carrying away".

Torquemada

Karren Matthews, another one for the woodchipper, feet first

+Doc+

She will probably be sunning it in Australia in 5 year.
Its amazing how someone can do something so wrong, serve a short period of time in the clink then get a cushy life after courtesy of the humble tax payer.
Makes you sick.

David Lock

I wonder if that would apply to a child from the consent angle? A baby couldn't give consent, for example?

Do you happen to know what the max sentence is? dl

amahrap

That was exactly my point David, does a child need to "consent" to their legal guardian "taking or carrying them away".

Just an interesting legal argument as i can see clearly how it would apply in almost all cases except this one

Leslie

When you see that whole story about how that poor girl was treated over a period of time, it is difficult to justify any kind of sympathy for her and the bloke whatsoever.

Les

fatherpierre

I suppose the consent is negated by being drugged and locked up. What would a reasonable pereson think to consent?

Not sure what the max sentence is. I'll have a look in a mo.

fatherpierre

Life is the maximum sentence.

The points to prove this offence just list "a person" as being the victim.

The consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions is required for prosecution of kidnapping a child under 16 by a person connected with the child, so this must have been consented to in this case.

Petem95

I wouldn't have her SENT down, I'd have her PUT down

Always scum like this that breeds like rabbits - ferrel kids running around up to no good as a result.

Labour have allowed this sort of scum to flourish.

David Lock

Thanks. I'm glad the judge will have the option of a long sentence then. dl

fatherpierre

I think this scum flourish regardless of what party is in power. Scum is scum, and always has been.

dazdavies

iTrader: (22)

Bit of a narrow minded view is that. Yes they may not be the brightest people or the most affluent but these people haven't done anything wrong.
Why should they be punished? They all rallied round and they all gave up their time to look for someone they genuinley thought was missing. So they make a few quid out of it so what? If you don't like it don't buy the papers and magazines that write the stories.

Martin2005

As a father of 2 young children it's hard to put into words the contempt I have for your comment.

It is the primary responsibility of parents to protect their children, and if that fails then the state has to take responsibility.

I made the rare mistake of reading some of the newspaper coverage of this case, and it got me thinking....

We clearly have a problem is some parts of the country with an underclass of people who incapable of looking after their children properly, unwilling to work and take the state for all they can get. I know this is not the case for the majority on state benefits, but there appears be an element who need dealing with.

We have to do something constructive about this problem, todays children of drop-out parents, are tomorrows socially inadequates. In other words how do we stop Shannon turning out like her demented mother?

Here's my (surprisingly right-wing) solution

It's always tough cracking down on bad parents and the benefit dependent without at the same time making things even worse for their children.

Firstly the state needs to get FAR more involved with these families, those who will not work should have all CASH benefits removed. Vouchers for childrens food and clothing should replace benefits cheques, this way the children get what they need and the drop-out parents can't spend it on booze and ****.

We have to be more willing to remove children from these families, the message should be 'demonstrate that you are willing provide for your family, or the state will take drastic action'. Of course to make this work we need massive improvements in the way social services perform, and will almost certainly need to attract a much higher calibre of person into SS.

The problem for all of us is that to really do something about the social challenges we face is going to cost us a lot more than doing nothing, it's almost certain that allowing these low-lives to get away with a benefit dependent life is cheaper than really tackling the problem.

We are about to have another white paper from the government on this issue, I hope and pray it's not yet another sticking plaster.

Leslie

Well said Martin.

Les

AllanB

Why should she be locked up with us paying for it, personally I think she should do 15 years community service 7 days a week.

Picking up litter and dog****, clearing graffiti, don't let her hide from her shame.

I don't see the point in locking people up at oput cost, I agree they should be locked up but made to work for everything they get, food, water, toilet paper, electricity.


AllanB

Martin2005

In many ways this is the perfect punishment for someone who hasn't done a days work in her life. And a real way of getting someone with otherwise so little to offer society to put something back...plus she'd absolutely hate it!!