Does anybody remember last year when Barnsley lad Stephen Simpson was killed?

They sentenced his killer to 3 years, 6 months today:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2297053/Yob-killed-autistic-teenager-setting-18th-birthday-party-teasing-gay.html

Still shocked this even happened to be honest. Went to school with Steven and he wouldn't harm a fly, always had a smile on his face.

 

Judge Keen said: 'This whole evening seems to have as part of it good natured horseplay."

What a f*****g statement to make!

This poor lad's lost his life through ridicule and humiliation.

3 years 6 months for his killer? Not long enough by a long way!

I'd make it more like THIRTEEN, and include some of his mates as well who were no doubt egging on and enjoying the spectacle of the poor lad's suffering.

 

Three and a half years is a joke of a sentence!

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21057288

These two got 7 and 5 years for bank fraud? What's more important nowadays. Its ridiculous

 

That's all he gets for deliberately setting a young lad on fire and killing him in what must have been an excruciatingly painful death? He'll be out in less than 2 years. Bl00dy hell, that's ridiculous.

 

My sister was Stephens teacher, she was very upset when he died . This news won,t cheer her up ! Shocking!

 

My daughter was distraught when she heard about Stephen

She knew him from school. The boy was persistently bullied throughout his life, apparently. At times, when he thought others were being friendly, they were actually ridiculing him.
Pathetic sentence for absolute scum.

 

Poor lad. The 'horseplay' that the judge refers to seems more like straight up bullying to me on the face of it. That people can treat somebody with his problems like that really saddens me. RIP Stephen.

 

Perhaps it's also worth pointing out that we live in a country where the most vulnerable members of society are being increasingly scapegoated. Hate attacks on disabled people, fuelled at least in part by a Government that seems to be successfully peddling the 'scrounger' message, are on the increase. It would be overstating it to point out the similarity to Nazism but you do have to wonder where things are heading.

 

Financial crime nearly always results in longer terms of imprisonment that crimes against the person. Time it was changed.

 

I used to get on a bus that he got on at night after work before I could drive! The amount of stick that young lad wad disgusting! I had to bite my lips a few times but eventually cracked and told half of em to eff off and pick on me! He didn't get bother again whilst I was on the bus at the same time! When I heard I thought it was terrible that someone could do that. When I saw a picture and realised it was Stephen I was truly gutted even tho I didn't know him that well!!

 

My daughter knew him and his Mum and some of the incidents of bullying that she has mentioned recently are not very nice.