What price life asks Conservative Party

The Conservative Party are asking what is the price of life if the killer of a defenceless homeless man who was viciously beaten and left to die was jailed for just 11 and a half years.

Justice Spokesman for the Conservatives, Garth McVicar said the case brought into question what a life was worth. “Here we have a homeless man who had significant disabilities from a previous head injury getting viciously assaulted by a thug who had already assaulted someone else the same evening getting sentenced too little above the minimum sentence for murder.”

Steven Churchis, 18, attacked Edwin Linder with a "martial arts-style kick" then punched and stomped on his head while he lay on the ground.

Mr Linder, 42, lay there for eight hours before a member of the public called an ambulance. He died in hospital three days after the assault.

Justice Geoffrey Venning imposed a mandatory life sentence and a minimum period of imprisonment which took into consideration the offender's youth and remorse.

But McVicar said the starting point for such a vicious offence was 17 years. “To allow a discount for feigned remorse and add nothing for the earlier violent assault was tantamount to adding insult to injury. If this young thug was really remorseful he could have helped Mr Linder when he returned six hours after the original assault and found him barely breathing. Instead he threatened his accomplice; I'll beat you to a pulp twice as worse as the other two" and did nothing to assist his dying victim.

“Obviously this young thug is a nasty piece of work that has been able to get through life by dishing out violence to anyone who crossed his path. Rather than showing sympathy to the killer the Judge should have taken the opportunity to send a message to all and sundry that society will not tolerate this type of behaviour.”

“Judges are supposed to be the gate keepers for the community but this Judge let his community down badly.”

McVicar added that a priority for the Conservatives when elected would be introducing real time sentences so that sentences given would be sentence served. “The current parole system will be scrapped and a life sentence will mean life without parole.”

ENDS

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