Mobe snap murderers face justice

Insane!

So you pose for mobile phone pics and THEN bury the phone along with the murder weapon. Why not delete the freaking photos???? Or am I missing some subtle psychological insight? Or are they just stupid thugs?

Mobe?!

Lester, you are hereby sentenced to a week away from your computer for crimes against the English language!

death penalty candidate

Problem is the gene pool is polluted with people like this, at least in some american states they have a cure......

Girls on film

"Why not delete the freaking photos?"

To be fair, the report doesn't explicitly state that the photographs were not deleted - it only says that they were taken. Based solely on the report, and nothing else, it's possible that Stephen Price deleted the pictures, but subsequently admitted that he had taken them, or that his partner and her sister grassed him up.

Or perhaps he didn't know how to operate the phone, in which case why not stick it in the bleach bath along with the corpse?

Why...

...are we wasting taxpayers (i.e. *our*) money letting the state keep these sh*tbags alive ?

I don't normally side with the death penalty brigade (too many miscarriages of justice, often for political gain), but I think I could make an exception in this instance.

The money saved would be better off in the pension pots of the thousands of people who were encouraged to move to "safe" private pension schemes which turned out to be anything but.

Hm...

It's in cases like this that I feel tempted to ask for death penalty...

Re: Errrr....

How else do you think a modern police force were going to catch them, except with a GATSO?

Aggressively Confusing Words

You people and that damned MOBE crap! Would you please stop using bullshit terms!? It’s a stupid and confusing term. Your readers have asked you before to stop using it but for some unfathomable reason you persist. :/

Someone please explain...

Why i it that the death penalty is *always* wrong?

Use small words. Apparently, I am not too bright, because I believe all three of the villains in this piece should be stopped from wasting oxygen at the first possible moment.

Skull & crossbones because cretins such as these poison the gene pool.

@Curtis

...and to get on a jury, all you have to do is prove that you know absolutely nothing that may be relevant to the case at hand. Not to mention that both defense and prosecution attorneys tend to reject jurors who show any signs of intelligence, as appeals to emotion have pretty much completely replaced any form of logical discourse in US law (and politics, and reporting, and business, ad nauseam...)

That's why death penalty appeals tend to drag on for years, and are usually either overturned on appeal or commuted by a governor trying to drum up a little political support. (See http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/html/cp/2006/cp06st.htm for raw statistics about capital punishment in the US -- note that the 2006 data is the newest available.)

That's why the state of New Jersey recently determined that it was CHEAPER to imprison someone for life than put them to death.

Re: Death Penalty

"One thing some people against the death penalty seem to ignore is that in the US, you must be convicted by a jury of you peers (taxpayers) beyond any reasonable doubt."

That means nothing, and that is why I'm usually so reluctant on this subject. How many people have been found innocent even after being gone through the process you describe, and sometimes more? Racism and other prejudices really cloud people's judgment (and you should see how racist blacks are against *themselves*, it's amazing!). The Innocence Project, heard of it? They use DNA evidence to show that an inmate is not guilty. Two hundred and ten people were exonerated by this project so far, 15 of which were on death row! A guy was freed most recently, after twenty-freaking-seven years in jail while innocent (misidentified in a photo lineup or something): http://www.innocenceproject.org/

Makes one think, doesn't it? What about losing 27 years of your life? (and life in prison is full of interesting situations you'd rather not be part of, no?)

On the other hand, there is no doubt this guy from the article here did what he did, is there? In my opinion, there is no reason why a 20 year old should do that and continue to live. He is just worse than any other, non-human animal. Even if he is mentally sick, can he be "recovered"? The 17 year old who happily went along should spend at least a few decades doing heavy work in a prison. If I understood correctly, her sister can get a lesser penalty than that, but needs some too of course.

What about big mafia bosses, drug kingpins, mass murderers? Cases of great harm where there is no doubt they are the perpetrators? Why spend the money to keep these guys in jail for life? I like to think that spending life in jail doing heavy work would be much harsher penalty than being killed. But I know that, in my S. American country at least, these big criminals don't work in jail, can control their business from there (where they are actually somewhat protected from their competitors outside and end up living longer), and end up escaping whenever they feel like. Just kill them, and spend the money working on the treatment to the REAL causes of criminality, like poverty, injustice, etc.

Life isn't sacred, nothing is. Get real, absolutist people. The problem is not the death penalty in and of itself; it's the way it is applied. If laws and procedures got corrected, there is no reason not to have death penalty for exceptional, *really* beyond reasonable doubt heinous cases.

But that's just what I think now, it might change tomorrow.

Death Penalty

It IS simple, for me at least.

He apparently killed someone in revenge for an insult. Killing him in return would be revenge for an insult (the murder of a citizen).

It can be argued that society has a right to protect itself. IMHO it should do the minimum of harm to achieve that aim. It can do so by imprisonment, so that's what it should do.

Before you ask, yes I DO think the death penalty is equivalent to (judicial) murder, which is why so many undemocratic regimes (who if they were not in power would otherwise be criminals) use it.

Simple enough for you?

A jury of my peers?

Well I'm just a software engineer with a BSc but if I was ever falsely accused in the good ole US of A I'd hope such a selection of my peers consisted predominantly of particle physicists rather than some perfectly law abiding person with a similar level of intelligence to the perp in this article. These death penalty supporters seem to be unaware that all people are not created equal.

@Jesus Puncher

> Would you trust your LIFE to the legal system here in the UK? or anywhere else?

There are three legal systems in the UK... one in England & Wales, one in Scotland, and one in Northern Ireland. They are all completely different.

> Would you be happy to be judged by 12 members of the UK at random? or specially selected ones?

12 in England & Wales... 15 in Scotland... don't know how many in Northern Ireland.

Juries, Justice & Capital Punnishment

I was once called up for jury duty. At lunch time I overheard two members of another jury discussing a case, "I knew he was guilty as soon as I saw him" one of them said. Plus, how about the recent case of Stefan Kiszko who "confessed" to murdering a child. The police had a confession, surely an "open and shut" case - by those rules he would have been executed and therefore the actual murderer who has subsequently been found & convicted would still be free.

Clearly people who present a continued threat to society should be kept locked up. They should also pay their debt to society by doing something useful. I suggest sorting rubbish for recycling. I can't be bothered to sort all my rubbish out, so how about everyone just chucks it all in the same bin, it gets shipped off to the nearest prison / recycling plant and the convicts sort it out by hand. If they refuse to do the recycling, they get refused any privileges, fed a bland subsistence diet etc. If they exceed their recycling targets they get perks like phone calls, cigarettes, TV etc.

Life in Prison & Chemical Carstration

Thats the penalty people like this should receive. Remove them from the gene pool by removing their ability to procreate.

Actually i would happily extend this to anyone sentenced to a crime for 10 years+. If you've done something so bad as to be imprisoned for 10 years you really have no right procreating!

Perhaps it could be used as a deterrent for things like chavs who steal cars - be caught stealing cars, b&e, assault, etc 3 times and have your ability to have kids removed for ever. Crime might drop and we'd also prevent a whole new generations of chavs! Win-Win!

Oh and the death penalty has been proven not too be a deterrent so why lower ourselves to their level by commiting (state-sanctioned) murder. Were not animals, even if they are!

@Aubry Thonon

"Which makes for a better deterrent in the UK Navy: a sailor being taken down below and given his lashes, or an assembly being called and all the other sailors being shown what happens to them if they break the maritime laws?"

Given that when lashing was still allowed it was used on every ship almost every week, it would seem that it wasn't much use as a deterrent really.

The problem with deterrent sentencing is that no one goes about breaking the law/rules thinking that they're going to be caught. If you think you're going to get away with it, what matters the punishment?

Clear Cut case? Maybe not....

To everyone who thinks this is a clear-cut and obvious case let me just run through a few thoughts - Note that I do not necessarily think that Steven Price is innocent or guilty but based on the 'Facts' as presented in this Article alone, I believe that there are still other possibilities available.

1) Steven Price admitted to guilt - this is possibly one of the most compelling arguments in favor of his Guilt, however as other folk have pointed out mentally ill people admit to guilt for crimes they have not committed quite often - and if nothing else Steven Price does not seem to be.... well lets say.... mentally stable....

Also if the crime was committed by one of the other people there, like say his Girlfriend/Partner then I would also have to consider the possibility that he may be 'In love' (whatever that means ;-) and is trying to protect her.

2) Steven Price posed with the body.... After the attack - there is no suggestion in this article that the Pictures were taken while the attack was taking place in which case this only provides evidence that Steven Price was involved after the death, it also indicates that there was at least one other person present at the time.

3) DNA etc evidence on the "knife the screw driver and the mobile phone" (Carpet, Bag etc) again this only links the accused to the disposal of these items which only 'proves' that he was involved in the disposal of the body - which has already been established.

4) Witness evidence from Karen and Irene Duncan. lets see now this sounds a bit harder to refute but they are sisters and may be prepared to lie to protect each other - Also they are fairly obviously involved in the murder and it is not outside the bounds of possibility that they are lying to protect themselves and or each other. Think about it a: "'frenzied and sustained knife assault' amounting to at least 80 separate blows." is no means feat and would be likely to be fairly tiring if carried out by a single person - it is possible that two people (two sisters perhaps?) or maybe even three people participated in the attack.

If I was on the Jury would I convict on the strength of all this evidence?

Yes I think the evidence does sound like it could be considered 'Beyond reasonable doubt.' and I probably would convict.

However would I also consider the evidence to be certain enough to sentence Steven Price to death? I think not as despite the obvious nature of this case there are other possible explanations for the 'evidence' given in this Article.

I may caused enough stirring for the moment I think I will get my coat and stand back out of the wind of public opinion for a bit.

@Mark

...and the website report is probably pulled from the 'papers (El Reg being a tech site and not a news agency), who have a pretty poor track record of documenting *any* evidence for the defence. The odd occasion that they do is usually after conviction, when they've set off on a "Crusade For Justice" or some other headline-grabbing way of saying "we're pretty sure this bloke's innocent and we reckon that saying it will sell a few extra copies".

Having said that, my vote's for execution by firing squad. With flamethrowers.

Can't let anyone accuse *me* of being anywhere to the left of Attlia the Hun now, can I?

Death's too good for 'em

Personally I think the death penalty is an easy way out. IMHO pre-meditated murderers should receive whole life sentences under extremely austere conditions. A quick humane death is no punishment at all, really.

Either way. The current average 14 years (served) for murder in one of Her Majesty's Holiday Camps is a complete joke.

Oh, and the same sentence for attempted murderers, too. Just because they were lucky enough *not* to kill their victim shouldn't mean they should get the pathetic 9 years in the slammer that scum like this:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7159705.stm

receive, just so they can come out and get it right next time.

Bottom line. Try to kill, succeed or not, and you should spend the rest of your life in a 7' cell, 23 hours a day, with 4 others of like mind.

why no death penalty . . .

WHO THE FK do YOU think you are? to decide the death of someone.

I'd much rather he spend a long long life in jail, maybe breaking rocks.

THAT's why no death penalty.

Death Penalty?

If someone is found guilty of murder (or any other crime that may punnishable by judicial murder)and the person is later found to be innocent who pays for the crime The Judge,The Jury,The Defence Lawyer(for not getting all the facts before The Jury)The Politician(who drafted The Law),The Prosecuting Lawer,or "The Hangman"?

P.S.

""Which mads for a better deterrent in the UK Navy: a sailor being taken down below and given his lashes, or an assembly being called and all the other sailors being shown what happens to them if they break the maritime laws?""

Have you been watching too many "B" movies? They no longer use Flogging in The Royal Navy it was abbolised officialy in the 1960's AAFAIK hadden't been used for several decades before that not even in the mutinies in the British Armed Forces at the end of the Second World War in the Far East.

@ Mark

"But then you're basing your opinion upon a report published on a website. If you were a member of the jury, you may find that there is a great deal more evidence than is presented here..."

Mark -That is precisely the point that I am making (well trying to make).

Whilst a large number of people here are screaming that Steven Price deserves the death penalty and that this is an obvious open and shut case - there could easily be other Factors that may make this case less obvious.

While I would accept that on the evidence presented here alone there MAY be a case for imprisonment I cannot accept (merely on the evidence presented in this article) that there is a clear cut case here that justifies execution (as many are claiming).