Posted on 02/20/2008 10:13:11 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
We must end teen booze culture says mother of fatal "happy slapping" kid
Daily Mirror campaign: Can it! Stop kids boozing
By Lucy Thornton15/02/2008
The mum of a 15-year-old girl locked up for drunkenly filming a "happy-slapping" killing last night said her daughter was ensnared by Britain's terrifying culture of teenage boozing.
The divorced 33-year-old, speaking after the girl admitted aiding and abetting the manslaughter of Gavin Waterhouse by two teenagers, said: "The whole country must fight this violent and horrific problem.
"Every town has youths drinking themselves senseless. My daughter wanted to fit in, so she joined in. If she'd not been drinking we wouldn't be in this tragic situation."
The girl, described as "hyper" after knocking back alcohol, used a mobile phone to film Mark Masters, 19, and a 17-year-old youth kicking and punching stonemason Mr Waterhouse in a street in Keighley, West Yorks. He died later of a ruptured spleen.
The girl, convicted at Leeds crown court yesterday, is the first person succesfully prosecuted for aiding manslaughter over the filming of an attack.
She was last night in custody at a secure children's home. Her student mum, who has a second child, said she had begged social services in vain for help with her tearaway teenager.
Advertisement She said: "I suspected my daughter was in with the wrong crowd but you can't keep a teenager locked up.
"You can scream and shout for help but little notice is taken until something terrible happens.
"Now the whole country is watching and pointing the finger - but what use is that? A man is dead and my daughter is in custody. Surely prevention is better than knee-jerk reactions?
"I can't criticise the individual social worker who has been assigned to my daughter but it's the system that has failed."
Both Masters and the 17-year-old, who, like the girl, cannot be named, admitted manslaughter at a previous hearing.
The court heard the girl was handed a mobile phone by Masters, who was not a friend, and was told: "Video this."
She approached Mr Waterhouse and asked him for money before recording the attack.
Afterwards, the attackers showed friends the video footage - even though they were aware their victim had died.
All three will be sentenced later. Manslaughter charges carry a maximum life term.
Ping
Coming soon to the United States!
This is sick! I hope this girl rots in prison!
“A Clockwork Orange” ping
When was the mother excused from responsibility for her spawn?
ok, I give up..what’s “happy slapping”??
duh..got it..nevermind..
Bearing in mind that a "life sentence" in the European Union is a maximum of 20 years and always includes the possibility of parole.
IMO, they will probably be sentenced to 15 years and do six.
It’s some idiotic form of senseless “entertainment” for teenage-hoodie-yobbos in England. Unprovoked, they approach innocent people walking their dogs, jogging, pushing their babies, etc. and basically beat the crap out them while some of the idiots film it on their mobile phones and upload it onto the internet to brag about it. They beat people senseless and “stamp on their heads like footballs” for absolutely NO REASON except for their own depraved entertainment. They run off laughing, leaving people dead and/or brain damaged and dying in a pool of their own blood. It’s absolutely sick and so far as I know, hoopefully just confined to England. I hope this depravity does not cross the pond. We actually punish juvenile morons for brutality but the England’s New Labour has seen brainless crimes like this skyrocket under their “regime” and for the most part these and other horrific crimes go unpunished due to their “softly softly” approach. Of course Labour trumpets statistics saying that violent crime has gone down. Really?, Tell that to the daily tally of victims. Pass the sick bucket.
Our children - our future!!!!!
Britain’s total surrender to the Barbarians by parents with no concept of morality, civilization, history, personal responsibility or common sense.
England’s Christian churches are empty and the Government socialists are fully funded.
It’s a good way to get yourself killed if attempted in the US.
D@mn straight. But of course, we still believe in such outdated notions as "self defense" and "gun ownership". Barbarians that we are.
Kids can go wild when they dont have a dad around.
Child Services are no substitute. Moms can rarely do it alone.
all things being equal , you’re correct.
of course, our laws are generally made by dimwits catering to the lowest common denominator in the least desired situation to pander to them for the vote to be ‘their baby’s daddy’.
Amazing.
Couple of concealed carry permit holders would end this nonsense.
Concealed Carry Permits and the firearms and ammo of their choice should be available to law abiding citizens in the UK. Disarming law abiding, tax paying citizens who then become prey is simply wrong, but I bet it just feels great and progressive to the small minded politicians who pass such laws and to the even smaller minded, overly emotional fools who vote for and support them.
This is so unbelievable, I don’t even know where to begin. I will say, however, my condolences to the poor victim and his family.
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