Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
This is an utter outrage and mocks the death of this young lady. There was a witness that testified that he saw the defendant "bear hug" her until she went limp and sunk to the bottom of the sea. He says that he went to the surface to get help, but what he forgot to mention, and only came out later was that he was a trained rescue diver!
This scumbag offed his wife and got away with it. One year for murder. DISGUSTING!!!!!!
This is an utter outrage and mocks the death of this young lady. There was a witness that testified that he saw the defendant "bear hug" her until she went limp and sunk to the bottom of the sea. He says that he went to the surface to get help, but what he forgot to mention, and only came out later was that he was a trained rescue diver!
This scumbag offed his wife and got away with it. One year for murder. DISGUSTING!!!!!!
Are you American? If so don't take Australia to task for incompetent legal system..Have you forgotten about OJ???
You won't hurt our feelings because most Aussies are just as disgusted at the #&*!$%! mob on the bench as you are! We are incredulous at the jokes that have become sentences in the past few years. I really don't know what can be done about it. Unfortunately, we can't vote for judges. The bunch we have now would be tossed out on their heads if we could. And it doesn't seem to matter what political party is in at the time. The legal system seems to be untouchable and unaccountable, working on its own sick agenda.
Wanna murder someone and not get much, if any, punishment? Invite your intended victim to a holiday here, off them, and voila! Even better - to really minimise your "sentence", be drunk at the time.
This is an utter outrage and mocks the death of this young lady. There was a witness that testified that he saw the defendant "bear hug" her until she went limp and sunk to the bottom of the sea. He says that he went to the surface to get help, but what he forgot to mention, and only came out later was that he was a trained rescue diver!
This scumbag offed his wife and got away with it. One year for murder. DISGUSTING!!!!!!
Agree it is disgusting and absolutely makes a mockery but I will point out for the purposes of clarification that he was given a four and a half year suspended sentence but will be eligible for parole in 12 months. STILL disgraceful though.
One has to wonder why he was even given the option to plead guilty to manslaughter. There's no way it wasn't premeditated. I'm still confused given the facts how his charge was changed from murder to manslaughter.
What does give me some hope with this particular case is that Christina's family and friends are still continueing to draw attention to the case and I can only hope that means they'll manage somehow to make a challenge with regard the leniency of the sentence and hopefully he will get more.
They certainly have support here from the Australian public.
Is this the guy who murdered his wife while on a honeymoon or something while snorkeling up north queensland? If so, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter which isn't regarded as bad as murder and pleading guilty reduces your sentence also. I don't know much more about it past that as i haven't read the court transcripts or anything.
That said, I too, hate our justice system. There's to much sympathy towards the convicted (probably a mentality remnant of our convict heritage) and the victims are ignored.
Is this the guy who murdered his wife while on a honeymoon or something while snorkeling up north queensland? If so, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter which isn't regarded as bad as murder and pleading guilty reduces your sentence also. I don't know much more about it past that as i haven't read the court transcripts or anything.
That said, I too, hate our justice system. There's to much sympathy towards the convicted (probably a mentality remnant of our convict heritage) and the victims are ignored.
Yeah, that's him. Although he was originally charged with murder and only plead guilty when the charged was reduced to manslaughter.
...but I will point out for the purposes of clarification that he was given a four and a half year suspended sentence but will be eligible for parole in 12 months...
Yeah but that's what we hear all the time. Some crap about oooh it's such-and-such a sentence and then in the next breathe, it's reduced for some legal-babble reason to the typical joke of a sentence that is all too common. The other insult is the "this crime carries a maximum sentence of X" but when's a maximum sentence ever given out? Once in a blue moon, for some especially emotionally-charged case, which is an insult to everyone else, as a murdered loved one shouldn't be rated as less than another.
The Judicial system in Australia is a piece of s***.
And to the OP, yes our so called "judicial system" is infact this incompetent all the time. In this country, the Victim is further victimised by the ***** piece of miserable **** kid glove treatment criminals get here.
I hate the law system here, it literally gives a slap on the wrist for virtually ANY crime commited. This is one area where we could take a hint from the USA...
I say bring back the death penalty..bring back life sentences for murder....... I even would be happy to see SE Asian laws and corressponding hellhole prisons here.
The Judicial system is one thing the USA have hit spot on. Here, you can operate a drug plantation in your back yard and get a fine at worst, kill someone and get 3 years in a prison where they give you TV, internet, private showers, outdoor recreation and a choice of food. The "justice" system here is a disgrace, and an insult to all victims.
It's ironic, considering that this country once used to have the some of the world's toughest punishments for crime...yet now we treat criminals better than the victims
But with all the hippie politically correct ********s here (both in population and parliament), we won't see adequete punishments such as the death penalty or prisons that actually resemble prisons, rather than 4 star hotel rooms
A QUEENSLAND man was kicked in the head until he was in a permanent vegetative state because he had cowered like a "bloody f...ing dog", a court has heard.
Michael Jacob Connelly, 30, of Brisbane, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail in the Brisbane District Court (http://search.news.com.au/search//0/?us=ndmnews&sid=421&as=news&ac=ninews2&q=Brisbane% 20District%20Court - broken link) after pleading guilty to committing grievous bodily harm on 34-year-old Horst Highlands.
The court heard Mr Highlands is now in a vegetative state and is comparable to a "dead man living''.
The attack occurred on October 7, 2007 in King St, Caboolture.
Crown prosecutor Caroline Marco (http://search.news.com.au/search//0/?us=ndmnews&sid=421&as=news&ac=ninews2&q=Caroline% 20Marco - broken link) told the court the two men were in a yard 450m down the road in Christine St, before Connelly started chasing Mr Highlands.
It is unknown why the chase occurred as Mr Highlands can no longer communicate or move any of his limbs or his head.
The court heard that Mr Highlands was screaming for help as he ran and tried seeking protection in a number of homes, but was turned away each time.
He then rolled onto his back on the ground and put his feet up in the air in an attempt to protect himself.
Connelly then kicked Mr Highlands in the head at least five times, fracturing his jaw in several places and causing brain damage.
When asked by police why he kicked Mr Highlands, Connelly replied: "Because he cringed up and rolled up like a bloody f...ing coward, like a bloody f...ing dog. That's what he did, man.''
Connelly's defence lawyer Chris Wilson argued his client had been brought up in an abusive environment and had a drinking problem.
While Ms Marco sought an eight-year prison sentence with a serious violent offender order, Judge Nicholas Samios handed down a 10-year sentence and a serious violent offender order.
Judge Samios said despite there being no weapons involved, it was the worst possible result from a grievous bodily harm offence.
"You chased a man down who was calling for help and who wanted nothing to do with a confrontation,'' Judge Samios said.
"You were not a youthful offender and you have a previous criminal history of violence.''
He also noted that Connelly was not remorseful for his actions at the time of the crime and had left the scene.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
