9 August 2008

Meet the Porritt family

| johnboy
Join the conversation
30

In the Canberra Times Victor Violante has a lengthy piece on the saga surrounding the late Nanette Porritt, and her son Glen.

Compulsory reading for those wanting to hold strong views on the subject.

Join the conversation

30
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest
Deadmandrinking3:36 pm 11 Aug 08

Deadmandrinking said :

Headbonius said :

So DMD, Mum’s behaviour justifies his actions according to you? Interesting.

You want to read my posts before commenting on them? It’ll help.

“NOT THAT IT JUSTIFIES KILLING HER, but this woman did cross the line between punishment and abuse, a little too much.

It makes sense that Glen snapped. I would.”

Sorry for the caps, it’s just so I can pinpoint what I was saying.

Killing someone is rarely, if not never, justified. It was certainly not justified in this case. However, what I was saying was that I do understand how Glen snapped. There is a logical sequences of events that could lead him to snapping. It does not make what he did right, however.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy9:02 am 11 Aug 08

Anu singh is far worse though – she killed someone who never did a thing to her.

A bit off topic, but I went to uni with her brother (same course, only about 12 of us graduated), and he was a remarkably normal and balanced human being. Maybe some people just lose it?

Mælinar - *spoiler alert* I've seen S04E139:02 am 11 Aug 08

Thats my reading of the comment as well – I think the cat has erred amoungst the pigeons.

I dunno DMD, I thought that’s what you were saying too…

And I have to read everything that gets written here (some days being easier than others).

Deadmandrinking4:15 am 11 Aug 08

Headbonius said :

So DMD, Mum’s behaviour justifies his actions according to you? Interesting.

You want to read my posts before commenting on them? It’ll help.

I’m sure the judge heard what Mr Porrit had to say on the matter.

There were also odd stories of Mrs Porrit rubbing compost in the hair and face of the youngest daughter, to punish her for not cleaning the kitchen. It does sound very odd.

I would have given Glen a longer sentence myself. But I believe the trial did investigate the strictness and appropriateness of Mrs Porrit’s parenting.

Now whether Mr Porrit and the daughters exagerated any of that in order to assist Glen’s case, we will never know. It is telling of itself that the rest of his family continues to support him though.

At the end of the day Mr Porritt killed a fellow human being in circumstances that amounted to murder – even if Justice Higgins decrees otherwise. Posters on this thread who have endeavoured to justify this uncomfortable fact by emphasising the victim’s failings as parent are effectively saying that revenge killing is acceptable. It is such a typical defence to domestic murder – the victim was so bad, mad, sad that the offender just ‘lost’ control and lashed out. Whatever, we now have yet another murderer living amongst us courtesy of the ACT judiciary.

illyria, Glen Porritt has stated that ‘there was food left in the kitchen’ but HE describes it as not being enough to keep him healthy – then the hypochondriac statements kick in, blaming so-called blackouts. It was not “all the food”. What if the mother was locking away luxury and sweet things downstairs (e.g. in their version of a pantry) and keeping a basic healthy diet upstairs? Sounds more likely than a basic diet causing blackouts and acne. And a family on a tight budget would be entirely entitled to limit their children’s food consumption if they are wasting food. I’d like to hear what the Porritt husband had to say on the matter.
And if they had bogan or aspirational neighbours who weren’t aware of old-fashioned or country-style or old-money frugality, I wouldn’t be surprised if those neighbours didn’t understand.

Smithy, Nanette Porrit’s sister explained to the Court that Nanette only locked all the food away in the basement because “the children often wasted it”.

Come on guys, no behaviour from a child warrants what was done to those children growing up. There were clearly mental health issues at play behind the closed doors of the Porrit household long before Glen freaked out and stabbed his mother.

Ingeegoodbee5:08 pm 10 Aug 08

This should be a lesson to mothers everywhere.

While you are all ready to place fault with the mother and how she treated the son we have not been told why she felt this punishment was warranted.

We have heard one side of the story unfortunatly we are unable to other side of the story thanks to 57 stabs.

No-one really knows what goes on in families, even seemingly ‘normal’ ones.

Many people have suffered under much worse child abuse than the Porritt children but not all of them kill their parents as a result. Although a few may go on to kill others or commit crimes partly due to their upbringing. Many abused children rise above their experiences and live fulfilling lives.

Porritt was living away from home away and as an adult was able to, if he chose to, live an independent life. What triggers someone to commit this type of murder? A long simmering rage perhaps fuelled by the fact his sisters still lived in the family home and by all accounts took on the role of protector to some extent.

Sad case all round but murder is still murder and should not be taken lightly.

Anu singh is far worse though – she killed someone who never did a thing to her.

Come off it. Hate is a valid defence to murder. Where’s your compassion.

I agree with I Filed.

My mum did similar sorts of stuff to me when I was a kid too but I didn’t feel the need to stab her to death. The sentence this guy was given is laughable. Human life is becoming worth less and less in the courts every day.

Actually I agree with you I-Filed.

The woman clearly had a raft of mental issues, and some mental illness is hereditary. Seems likely that the son inherited some of whatever was happening in her head.

Killing someone is something that most people could never do, so it is a concern that this man is free to move around in society.

Strong disturbing and worthy of review words, I-filed

This discussion’s lack of consideration for the sanctity of human life is frightening. Why didn’t the rotten little shit leave home, move on, maintain his close relationship with his siblings, study, earn a living and stop pestering parents he didn’t like or connect with for money? The mother sounds awful but it’s appalling that people are arguing that an overly strict parent can be murdered and it’s OK. I’ve observed equally strict and OTT behaviour, by the way, in the mother of a successful and highly functional Canberra household, and the three children are now variously a concert pianist, assistant head of a major financial institution and IT professional. They would scoff at the idea that they couldn’t or shouldn’t have handled their mother’s behaviour. This murderer’s bad personality and inability to handle himself is the problem here – now made dire by the Court’s decision. Shades also of the Court’s letting Anu Singh off the hook and not holding her to account.

So DMD, Mum’s behaviour justifies his actions according to you? Interesting.

I agree with scootergal. This case again raises the nature versus nurture debate. Was Glen Porritt born murderous or did he become murderous due to his upbringing. If he’d had a normal, happy household with nurturing parents would these horrific events still have occured?

I don’t think so. He seemed bright, finished uni, loved and was loved by his siblings.

I think Glen was perhaps more susceptible to homicidal behaviour than other people – after all not everybody with horrible upbringings goes on to commit murder – but how do we know what each of us are capable of until we have been pushed to our very outer limits?

That kind of abuse (unfortunately) happens every day, as I have seen from working in child welfare. I’d say her treatment of him and his mental health are huge contributing factors. A shame that the situation could not have been made beeter before this incident. Hopefully he will get the help he needs.

And no-one else ever does him wrong…

Ever…

So long as the only person he hates and is likely to kill is now gone

I think calling the woman a bitch is a little generous, roadrage77. The woman sounds sociopathic. Did you even read the CT article?

Confiscating her sons prescribed acne cream (as a punishment), denying the children food and even locking food away so they couldn’t eat – calling the cops on her son when he broke into the house after she locked him out – that is beyond bitch, that is psychologial abuse.

Whether people think he got off lightly or not he has a right to be a little f**ked up because of his upbringing. Product of his environment it Porritt.

Deadmandrinking2:51 pm 09 Aug 08

Roadrage77 said :

So his mum was a bitch. Boo freakin hoo. Life’s no fairytale.

You hard man.

So his mum was a bitch. Boo freakin hoo. Life’s no fairytale.

Deadmandrinking1:52 pm 09 Aug 08

Not that it justifies killing her, but this woman did cross the line between punishment and abuse, a little too much.

It makes sense that Glen snapped. I would.

Nevertheless, the sentence is remarkably short.

In Melbourne this week a woman has been sentenced to one year for manslaughter, and she (apparently) killed her partner during a mutually agreed bondage session, by accident.

In the ACT she would have got no sentence at all I’d say.

It does seem like the Porrit family was a bit disturbed.

She sounds like a mother of the year candidate. Those poor kids. And what was the dad doing while she was abusing the children? It’s just an all round sad story.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.