Too bad there's no death penalty in UK

[Mickey1992]

Thursday December 2, 02:39 PM
 
Bieber jailed for policeman's murder

LONDON (Reuters) - A former U.S. Marine on the run in Britain has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering a policeman as officers carried out a routine check on a stolen car.

Florida-born David Bieber, 38, a bodybuilder and nightclub doorman, was also convicted on Thursday of the attempted murder of two other officers.

Bieber gunned down police constable Ian Broadhurst, 34, at point blank range on Boxing Day last year in Leeds as he was being questioned over the theft of a BMW.

He wounded officers Neil Roper, 45, and James Banks, 27 with gunshots before escaping in a hijacked car.

The police manhunt was speeded with the help of an audiotape recorded by the officers as they were trying to handcuff Bieber.

Police described Bieber's voice on the tape, which was played during the trial, as that of a "cold, calculating killer" who spoke in a calm manner.

On the tape, Broadhurst was heard pleading for his life before he was shot in the chest and then in the head.

During his trial, Bieber, also known as Nathan Coleman, told Newcastle Crown Court a mystery friend from the United States carried out the shootings, but he refused to name the man, saying he was a "loyal friend".

It was revealed after the trial that Bieber had fled to Britain from the United States, where he was wanted by police in connection with a plot to hire a hitman to kill a rival.

Broadhurst, described as a warm-hearted and committed officer by colleagues, was buried in January at a funeral attended by 200 officers and more than 800 mourners.

[Scaevola]

I have to agree that the crimes mentioned are outrageous but the death penalty probably wouldn't have stopped them happening. Some states in the U.S. still have the death penalty and I assume that it hasn't stopped people killing each other?

The death penalty itself does not allow for mis-carriages of justice as in the following cases.

http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/evans_christie.htm

http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/mattan.htm

http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/derek_bentley.htm

In the U.K. there have been at least 13 attempts to bring back hanging for various categories of murder since 1969. All have failed, and the trend has been towards ever greater majorities in Parliament for abolition.

In February 1994, a majority of 197 votes defeated a proposal to reintroduce the death penalty for the murder of a police officer on duty.

I would prefer to see british bobbys to be armed rather than re-introduce the death penalty but even the majority of the police when questioned on whether or not to be armed said "no". A fact which I think the U.K. police force should be proud of.

I empathise with the loss the familes of those mudered have suffered but still believe that the death penalty to be too extreme an act for any goverment to adopt. I also accept that there are those who have been directly effected by a murder who would say that the death penalty is fair justice.

[Furball]

whats the worse penalty?

dying a quick painless death.

or rotting away for the rest of their sorry life in a prison cell - why do you think so many long term prisoners try to commit suicide?

[Mickey1992]

I did not mean to suggest that the death penalty would have prevented this murderer from killing.  I was saying that I would rather have this person six feet under rather than getting three squares a day leeching off of the taxpayers.

[soda72]

Originally posted by Mickey1992
I did not mean to suggest that the death penalty would have prevented this murderer from killing.  I was saying that I would rather have this person six feet under rather than getting three squares a day leeching off of the taxpayers.

I would have to agree with this....  Doesn't sound like this guy will ever change why waste any money keeping him alive..

[Yeager]

if only the dumb sob had been born in the netherlands.......

[lazs2]

I thought guns were illegal to carry in england.  

lazs

[Maverick]

Laz,

Only for the law abiding, but you already knew that.

For the Brits.

Feel free to dump ground glass in the convict's morning porridge. Better yet, make sure he gets labled as a snitch to the general population. The problem will take care of itself.

[slimm50]

Originally posted by Scaevola
...In the U.K. there have been at least 13 attempts to bring back hanging ...

All right!! There's hope after all!

[lazs2]

never could understand the "humanity" of the people who are against the death penalty because the poor sick bastard doesn't suffer enough.    

lazs

[Scaevola]

Originally posted by slimm50
All right!! There's hope after all!

Yes, Bob Hope and No Hope.

I would be very suprised if we went back down that path as a means of punishment. I agree that they are nothing more than a drain on resources and the penal system in parts can be seen as an easy option. At the least they should be made to do hard labour, whether that be breaking rocks or something more beneficial to the community.

[-MZ-]

In LA at least, someone that shoots at 3 cops from close range would be executed on the spot.

[lazs2]

I believe that this is the first thing that mz has ever said that I agree with.  

lazs