So horrible :(

[Cherokee_Mountaincat]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/23/steven-simpson-gay-teen-burned-birthday-_n_2939092.html

[chicagom]

No matter who the victim, that sentence was a joke.

[NakedInSeattle]

3 1/2 fucking years? You have got to be kidding! I used to think highly of the Brits. NO MORE!

[Annika L]

No matter who the victim, that sentence was a joke.

I think the point, chicagom, is that the sentence would have been less of a joke (i.e., would have been significantly more severe) if the victim had not been gay.

[CurEUs_Male]

Sounds like a serious miscarriage of justice with the lackluster sentencing, and the prosecutor comment that it was acceptable.

[void()]

'describing Simpson's death as a "stupid prank that went wrong
in a bad way,"'

Well stupid was surely involved, all the way through it would
appear. All I may do is sigh and continue to hope.

[Gearbox]

No, the point is judging it to be manslaughter and not murder. There are not lesser sentences for killing LGBT's in the UK.How setting a person on fire could be labled as a 'prank that went badly wrong' is disturbing to say the least. Whether that is true in their minds or not, those involved need locking up in one kind of institution or another IMO.

[12voltman59]

Well--we don't know all of the particulars of both British law and the actual---legally relevant facts in this case--and as such---as lay people looking at this case from afar--it is impossible for us to say that the way things came out were too lenient.

It might have been the case that the police and prosecutors could not make a case for murder charges of a higher degree and so--they went for charges they knew they were very confident they could get a conviction on--and not losing on every possible outcome and the person getting away with it altogether.

The nature of what I am talking about is whether the crime here seemed to be of a more spontaneous one or if there was any premeditation on the part of the defendant. I have to surmise that based on the facts of the case and the way British law sets down such rules on this regard---the best legal option was to go with the manslaughter charges instead of going for some higher degree of murder charges that they could not prove.

They were able to secure a conviction on those charges, obviously enough.

[darkeyes]

Having read what I can about this case as best I can tell it was a tragic accident which came out a bit of a vindictive prank...neither police or prosecution believe there was any intention to kill.. to hurt, both mentally and physically sure, but not to kill. The boy with the lighter did not click his brain into gear and realise the tanning lotion was flammable.. thoughtless, stupid, and malicious. Evidently when the victim flared up he attempted for a few moments to dampen down the flames but panicked and ran off and I gather has real remorse for this prank which went tragically wrong. A true case of manslaughter. We do not normally convict and punish people for murder in this country unless there is an intention to kill. The perpetrator was convicted on the evidence in accord with English law. Whether his sentence fits the crime depends on your point of view. His sentence is far more severe than a few years in jail.. he has to live with the guilt for the rest of his life and it will follow him around like Jacob Marley's chains...