Latham Hold-Up 2003

NickD said :

I take it that you’re familiar with all details of the case and the offender’s conduct in jail then? (if so, could you please expand?) Or are you just having a knee-jerk reaction?

AHH NICKD, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE OFFENDERS CONDUCT IN JAIL ?? KNOW THIS PERSON DO YOU ??
FILL US IN – HOW WAS HIS CONDUCT IN JAIL ? YOU GOING TO OFFER HIM A ROOM TILL HE GETS BACK ON HIS FEET ??

TAD said :

See page 6

Link to: Case study 3: R v Leon Beyer

Justice Higgins commented during sentencing that if the incident occurred in
any other jurisdiction, it would constitute murder….

But this is Canberra.

Disclaimer, I know several of the people involved directly and indirectly.

BerraBoy68 said :

The man that died was a lovely old bloke. I used to chat to him and his wife when they walked their dogs down on Kippax oval. While I’m trying to be dispassionate in considering the length of time the offender has served, seven year just doesn’t seem right, even for manslaughter. I suppose this argument will come down whether you believe prison is for punishment or for rehabilitation.

So if he was an old bastard it would have made a difference?

Out of interest how did this guy die. Cannot recall the case myself?

Me no fry said :

I really dislike the use of phrases like “robbery gone bad”, as to me it sounds like an exculpatory statement. quote]

Your abolutely right. Poor choice of words by me!

See page 6

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CBcQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.parliament.act.gov.au%2Fdownloads%2Fsubmissions%2F01%2520AFP.pdf&rct=j&q=leon%20beyer%20supreme%20court&ei=zVSMTJCdHM_IccHA3M4E&usg=AFQjCNEc-TjpBB0Fb5Q5uO5kR7imB8XYpA

Light sentencing in Canberra is nothing new. In August 1987 during a fete at Holder High School the son of a local policeman was kicked in the throat by a student from Weston High. The Holder High student was killed instantly. A year later the trial was held and the outrage over the defence case – which included trite claims such as “kids think they’re playing a computer game and they don’t know about cause and effect” – resulted in the establishment of the Victims of Crime Assistance League. The Weston High student was found guilty and sent to juvenile detention. Four years later (1992) when I was working at Cooleman Court I saw the murderer walking around with his mates without a care in the world. What price a life?

Rehabilitation should be the goal after a criminal has been found guilty but unfortunately too many of us are too angry at prisoners to truly grant them the “luxury” of the psychotherapy, education and other support that would genuinely rehabilitate them. So instead there is no political way to institute such programmes and we leave our judges with the dilemma of balancing prison sentences long enough to deter the others (and this one from re-offending) against those short enough that the person can still get on with their life when they are released.

The man that died was a lovely old bloke. I used to chat to him and his wife when they walked their dogs down on Kippax oval. While I’m trying to be dispassionate in considering the length of time the offender has served, seven year just doesn’t seem right, even for manslaughter. I suppose this argument will come down whether you believe prison is for punishment or for rehabilitation.

I really dislike the use of phrases like “robbery gone bad”, as to me it sounds like an exculpatory statement. “Yeah, all I wanted to do was just grab the money but the guy just wouldn’t let go, and the knife sort of went in. Why didn’t he just let me have the money like he was supposed to?” Poor little me, look at the trouble I’m in.

Robbery is bad, full stop. You don’t know what people are going to do under extreme pressure. You might go into a shop just to steal money and end up committing murder (well, not in the ACT, obviously…)

I’m not saying 7 years is or isn’t adequate for this crime, but I will say that 7 years is a pretty reasonable chunk of time in anyone’s book. Imprisonment is a funny thing – short sentences may work for some crimes, while other crimes demand long sentences that realistically mean the offender may never get out. But that leaves a lot of middle ground, and that’s where you just have to trust the justice system to get it right at least some of the time.

7 years? In the ACT? Did we have an interstate judge filling in for the regulars? In 2010 that would have been pled down to manslaughter and gotten him 6 months of optional weekend detention.

Although, it could have ended up like another fatal stabbing in west Belconnen, which 4yrs after the event, hasnt even been to court yet, at least this case had swift justice, and pretty stiff by ACT standards.

I take it that you’re familiar with all details of the case and the offender’s conduct in jail then? (if so, could you please expand?) Or are you just having a knee-jerk reaction?