December 19th 2024.
Looking forward to the next page? Let's take a moment to revisit the previous one first. Recently, the Court of Appeal in the UK made a decision to increase the prison sentences of the country's youngest knife murderers. It was agreed that their initial sentences were too lenient. These two boys, who are not allowed to be named, were given life sentences with a minimum of eight-and-a-half years for the murder of 19-year-old Shawn Seesahai in Wolverhampton on November 13th of last year.
It's hard to believe that these boys were only 12 years old at the time of the killing, making them the youngest defendants to be convicted of murder in the UK since the infamous case of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, who were both 11 years old when they were found guilty of murdering two-year-old James Bulger in 1993. This Thursday, the Solicitor General's lawyers argued that the sentences given to the boys were too lenient for a "particularly serious type of case."
After careful consideration, three senior judges decided to increase the minimum terms to 10 years. This means that the boys will now serve nine years and 60 days in prison, taking into account the time they have already spent behind bars. Lord Justice William Davis, along with Mr Justice Bennathan and Judge Nicholas Dean KC, stated that they came to this decision "with reluctance and sadness," but ultimately felt that the original sentences were too lenient. The judges will provide a detailed explanation for their decision at a later date.
The victim's family released a photo of Shawn Seesahai, saying that they are relieved that justice has been served for their beloved son. They welcomed the Court of Appeal's decision to increase the sentences from eight-and-a-half to 10 years. They acknowledged that although no sentence can bring Shawn back, they feel that this decision better reflects the gravity of the crime and the immense loss they continue to feel every day.
The family also hopes that this outcome will send a strong message that carrying and using knives will not be tolerated. They are grateful for the support they received during the review of the case and for the Attorney General's Office for ensuring that justice was pursued. As they continue to honor Shawn's memory, they remain committed to raising awareness about the dangers of knife crime, in the hopes that no other family has to endure the pain they have gone through.
Shawn Seesahai was brutally attacked and stabbed through the heart and lungs, as well as suffering a skull fracture, in East Park's Stowlawn playing fields. One of the wounds he sustained was 23cm deep and almost went through his entire body. During their trial at Nottingham Crown Court, both boys pleaded not guilty to murder, each blaming the other for inflicting four wounds with a machete.
One of the boys did admit to possession of the knife before the trial, while the other was found guilty of the same charge when they were unanimously convicted of murder in June. The High Court judge, Mrs. Justice Tipples, had initially ruled that the boys should be protected by anonymity orders, stating that their welfare outweighed the public interest in open justice and unrestricted reporting.
In her sentencing, she described the murder as "horrific and shocking" and noted that Shawn had "everything to live for." The Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme allows relatives, victims, and members of the public to request a review of sentences they believe are unreasonably low for certain serious offences. The Attorney General's Office then considers whether to send the case to the Court of Appeal for further review.
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