Darlington
Teenager who stabbed brother to death walks free from court
 |
| stab victim: wILLIAM wEST |
A TEENAGER who stabbed his bullying
brother to death has walked
free from court after a judge heard
of the years of torment he had suffered
at the hands of his victim.
Daniel West was described as the
exact opposite of his violent older
brother, William, who was 19 when
he was knifed in the heart and liver
at their Hartlepool home.
Teesside Crown Court was told
William had attacked Daniel and
their mother, Hayley Noble-Jones,
for years, and would frequently
smash up their house.
Both brothers had been drinking
when Daniel was attacked for a final
time in November last year, and he
snapped, killing unemployed
William.
Judge Peter Fox, the Recorder of
Middlesbrough, said the degree of
provocation was "exceptional and
extreme".
He said: "Your punishment, I have
no doubt, will be lifelong.
"It will be the lasting knowledge
and awareness of the sorrow you
have caused to yourself, but most especially,
to your mother.
"Your own remorse is all too
plain."
 |
| SPARED PRISON: Daniel West |
He suspended a 12-month jail sentence
for two years, allowing West to
walk free from court.
There were tears of relief and
cries of "yes" from the packed public
gallery from the West family, and
the defendant hugged his mother
after being freed from the dock.
His plea of not guilty to murder,
but guilty of manslaughter due to
provocation was accepted at an earlier
hearing.
The basis of plea was read out in
full by Michael Shorrock, QC, mitigating.
Daniel, then 18 and now 19, said: "I
admit that I killed my brother.
"Throughout my life he had, when
the mood took him, been violent to
me and my mother.
"On this night, he was more violent
than I have ever seen him and I
was frightened of what he might do
to me and my mother."
The court was told that William,
who had been diagnosed with attention
deficit hyperactive disorder
while at school, attacked Daniel
with a knife during a violent struggle.
He told police he grabbed the knife
and, during the row, William was fatally
stabbed twice.
Daniel, who worked at a local car
wash, fled the house in Helmsley
Street, by jumping from his firstfloor
bedroom because William had
locked the front door.
He then went for help, but it was
too late, William was dead.
In a written statement, Mrs Noble-
Jones said William was always jealous
of Daniel, and bullied him.
Daniel was scared of his older,
stronger brother and tried to avoid
confrontation when they were children,
she said.
"William would just flip and lash
out," she said. "Daniel never retaliated,
he would always try to get out
of the way."
She did not want to comment after
the hearing.
8:25am Saturday 10th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Dave, Darlington on 11:06am Sat 10 May 08
So now its okay to kill someone as long as you have a good reason? What next let kids murder bullys at school?
So now its okay to kill someone as long as you have a good reason? What next let kids murder bullys at school?
Posted by: Barry Walton, Durham on 3:37am Sun 11 May 08
What an exceedingly crass comment by Dave from Darlington, i think that proven years of bullying is certainly an acceptable defence for manslaughter. My sympathies are definitely with the defendant in this case.
What an exceedingly crass comment by Dave from Darlington, i think that proven years of bullying is certainly an acceptable defence for manslaughter. My sympathies are definitely with the defendant in this case.
Posted by: Emily, Darlington on 7:40am Sun 11 May 08
If it's one thing I have learnt over the past month (from experience) Dave it has to be never believe everything you read in the paper. What you read is only a tiny snap shot of what is actually said in a court room and to be honest they have a habit of putting what was said in an entirely different context. This seems on the face of it a very sad story.
If it's one thing I have learnt over the past month (from experience) Dave it has to be never believe everything you read in the paper. What you read is only a tiny snap shot of what is actually said in a court room and to be honest they have a habit of putting what was said in an entirely different context. This seems on the face of it a very sad story.
Posted by: Nathan, Darlington on 5:30pm Sun 11 May 08
I'm sure they've been on the Jeremy Kyle show.
I'm sure they've been on the Jeremy Kyle show.
Posted by: fratia, Canada on 1:22am Tue 13 May 08
Abuse of any kind is wrong, and now an abuser will abuse no more. His mother and brother have done no wrong, the deceased should have been put in a mental hospital for life and given a lobotomy!
Abuse of any kind is wrong, and now an abuser will abuse no more. His mother and brother have done no wrong, the deceased should have been put in a mental hospital for life and given a lobotomy!
Posted by: Neill, Stockton on 8:09am Tue 13 May 08
Dave from Darlington. What a cracking idea, yes, lets murder the bullies at school, theyre the ones who go on to carry knives in parks, and murder Goths for dressing different, kill kids in Pizza shops who refuse to go outside for a fight and gather outside shops carrying out muggings and intimidating shoppers. Maybe he would have gone on to murder this guy in Oxford Street last night.
My statement is as ridiculous as yours, but in reality, these bullies are going unchecked by their Parents, by Society and by the law, ultimately the Government.
As we have no idea what this family went through over the 20 years this bully was alive, and maybe you never had a bully in your midst, if you did, you wouldnt make the crass idiotic comment you just have.
On the surface, it looked inevitable some members of this family were going to die at the hands of the others. Either the Mother and / or younger boy at the hands of the Bully, or the Bully at the hands of his Mother or Brother. One dead in self defence is not really acceptable, but better than two dead almost pre-meditated, and then a lifetime of us having to pay for his upkeep in detention for the rest of his life, or 5 years, whichever is sooner.
Dave from Darlington. What a cracking idea, yes, lets murder the bullies at school, theyre the ones who go on to carry knives in parks, and murder Goths for dressing different, kill kids in Pizza shops who refuse to go outside for a fight and gather outside shops carrying out muggings and intimidating shoppers. Maybe he would have gone on to murder this guy in Oxford Street last night.
My statement is as ridiculous as yours, but in reality, these bullies are going unchecked by their Parents, by Society and by the law, ultimately the Government.
As we have no idea what this family went through over the 20 years this bully was alive, and maybe you never had a bully in your midst, if you did, you wouldnt make the crass idiotic comment you just have.
On the surface, it looked inevitable some members of this family were going to die at the hands of the others. Either the Mother and / or younger boy at the hands of the Bully, or the Bully at the hands of his Mother or Brother. One dead in self defence is not really acceptable, but better than two dead almost pre-meditated, and then a lifetime of us having to pay for his upkeep in detention for the rest of his life, or 5 years, whichever is sooner.
Posted by: fratia, Canada on 12:45am Thu 15 May 08
[quote][bold]Neill[/bold] wrote:
Dave from Darlington. What a cracking idea, yes, lets murder the bullies at school, theyre the ones who go on to carry knives in parks, and murder Goths for dressing different, kill kids in Pizza shops who refuse to go outside for a fight and gather outside shops carrying out muggings and intimidating shoppers. Maybe he would have gone on to murder this guy in Oxford Street last night. My statement is as ridiculous as yours, but in reality, these bullies are going unchecked by their Parents, by Society and by the law, ultimately the Government. As we have no idea what this family went through over the 20 years this bully was alive, and maybe you never had a bully in your midst, if you did, you wouldnt make the crass idiotic comment you just have. On the surface, it looked inevitable some members of this family were going to die at the hands of the others. Either the Mother and / or younger boy at the hands of the Bully, or the Bully at the hands of his Mother or Brother. One dead in self defence is not really acceptable, but better than two dead almost pre-meditated, and then a lifetime of us having to pay for his upkeep in detention for the rest of his life, or 5 years, whichever is sooner.[/quote] Bravo to Neill from Stockton for telling it like it is. The bullying has to stop, and parents MUST be held responsible for the bullying that is done by their offspring.
Neill wrote:
Dave from Darlington. What a cracking idea, yes, lets murder the bullies at school, theyre the ones who go on to carry knives in parks, and murder Goths for dressing different, kill kids in Pizza shops who refuse to go outside for a fight and gather outside shops carrying out muggings and intimidating shoppers. Maybe he would have gone on to murder this guy in Oxford Street last night. My statement is as ridiculous as yours, but in reality, these bullies are going unchecked by their Parents, by Society and by the law, ultimately the Government. As we have no idea what this family went through over the 20 years this bully was alive, and maybe you never had a bully in your midst, if you did, you wouldnt make the crass idiotic comment you just have. On the surface, it looked inevitable some members of this family were going to die at the hands of the others. Either the Mother and / or younger boy at the hands of the Bully, or the Bully at the hands of his Mother or Brother. One dead in self defence is not really acceptable, but better than two dead almost pre-meditated, and then a lifetime of us having to pay for his upkeep in detention for the rest of his life, or 5 years, whichever is sooner.
Bravo to Neill from Stockton for telling it like it is. The bullying has to stop, and parents MUST be held responsible for the bullying that is done by their offspring.
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