04-05-2023, 12:35 PM
Anna Moore
Wed 3 May 2023 06.00 BST
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Brown was found not guilty of murder and pleaded guilty to manslaughter with diminished responsibility. He is entitled to automatic release in November, without parole or any risk assessment.
Brown’s trial is just one example of the very low status ascribed to domestic homicides by our criminal justice system – in the words of leading defence barrister Clare Wade KC, “They’re right at the bottom of the pile.”
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If these murders had taken place outside the victim’s homes, the sentences could have been 10 years longer, as there are higher penalties if a killer takes a knife to the scene rather than lifts one from the kitchen drawer.
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In court, Brown claimed that the stress of the divorce combined with other factors, including his new partner’s miscarriage, caused him to suffer an “adjustment disorder” – an emotional disturbance that interfered with normal functioning. This diminished responsibility for what he did.
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He sentenced Brown to 26 years – but since this was for manslaughter, not murder, that sentence is “determinate”, rather than the minimum term that might accompany a life sentence. For Brown, this means that if he commits no further crimes, he can be automatically released halfway through with no risk assessment.
Much better to read full article here: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023...g-set-free
Wed 3 May 2023 06.00 BST
......
Brown was found not guilty of murder and pleaded guilty to manslaughter with diminished responsibility. He is entitled to automatic release in November, without parole or any risk assessment.
Brown’s trial is just one example of the very low status ascribed to domestic homicides by our criminal justice system – in the words of leading defence barrister Clare Wade KC, “They’re right at the bottom of the pile.”
......
If these murders had taken place outside the victim’s homes, the sentences could have been 10 years longer, as there are higher penalties if a killer takes a knife to the scene rather than lifts one from the kitchen drawer.
......
In court, Brown claimed that the stress of the divorce combined with other factors, including his new partner’s miscarriage, caused him to suffer an “adjustment disorder” – an emotional disturbance that interfered with normal functioning. This diminished responsibility for what he did.
......
He sentenced Brown to 26 years – but since this was for manslaughter, not murder, that sentence is “determinate”, rather than the minimum term that might accompany a life sentence. For Brown, this means that if he commits no further crimes, he can be automatically released halfway through with no risk assessment.
Much better to read full article here: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023...g-set-free