Not guilty verdict in gay slaying (very upsetting)

[WillParkinson]

(Liverpool, England) The family of an 18-year-old gay Liverpool man, who was brutally beaten and dumped on a street to die, rain from a courtroom in tears Friday after a jury found the man accused of the crime not guilty.

Gavin Alker, 19, was on trial for the killing last July of 18-year-old Michael Causer.

The jury deliberated almost 13 hours before reaching a verdict. Alker stood emotionless in the docket as the verdict was read.

During the trial, the court was told that Alker and Causer were part of a group that had met during a night out at a local pub. After heavy drinking the group went to the home of the grandmother of one of the men to “sleep it off.”

At some point, Alker allegedly discovered from either Causer or one of the other men that Causer was gay.

Prosecutor Richard Pratt told the jury that Alker took a heavy hardbound American history book from a shelf, went into the room where Causer was sleeping and used it to batter Causer’s head. He then beat and kicked him repeatedly.

Pratt told the jury there was only one reason for the attack: “Michael Causer was gay.”

http://www.365gay.com/news/not-guilty-verdict-in-gay-slaying/

[Kajsa]

1. So my question is---

why was Alker found 'not guilty'?

Where in the hell was the LAW is this case?!?

Don't they have laws against hate crimes in England?

I do believe murder is still a crime there.

:sarcasm:

:( :( :(

[dsc]

2. presumedly the jury believed his blaming of the other person involved

the last paragraph of the article mentions his defense.

[Kajsa]

6. That's not going to work,

with any jury of reasonable intelligence.

Prosecutor Richard Pratt told the jury that Alker took a heavy hardbound American history book from a shelf, went into the room where Causer was sleeping and used it to batter Causer’s head. He then beat and kicked him repeatedly.

Pratt told the jury there was only one reason for the attack: “Michael Causer was gay.”

They weren't listening to the testimony then,
nor were they following jury instructions.

:(

[dsc]

7. the article is pretty poorly written

but I gather that the prosecutor's witness was the other guy who had pleaded and they didn't believe him.

[Kajsa]

8. I think you're right, Dsc .

Sadly, justice flew out the window here.

:(

I forgot to say, :hi:

-sorry! :pals:

[Melinda B]

9. Hate crimes?

I don't know about England, but we're not covered under most hate crimes laws in the United States.

But this is really sad. Unfortunately, there are far too many cases where people have gotten away with murdering gay people, sometimes after being found guilty. (There was one case in the US years ago where the judge lowered the verdict from guilty of murder to guilty of misdemeanor assault and let the perpetrators go with time served awaiting trial.)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

13. Holy CRAP. I want to know more about this lowered verdict case. Has linkee? -nt

[xchrom]

3. ...

:grr: :nuke: :grr:

[msongs]

4. sharia law by default coming to a UK near you? nt

[MikeE]

5. This is sad

It's times like this that I wish we did have a gay mafia, as some homophobes fear. At least then when the courts don't do what they are supposed to we would have a backup.

[Jamastiene]

11. I wish we really had one too.

If we did have one, I would have found my calling in life.

[beyurslf]

10. I wish the article had told us a little more about the defense and what he said.

Did the prosecution not do its job? Did the police mess something up? Did he have a truly good defense?

[dickthegrouch]

12. From the Liverpool Daily Post....

But Alker denied making any homophobic comments and insisted he had only hit extremely drunk Mr Causer in self-defence.

He blamed the fatal attack on his friend James O’Connor.

O’Connor, 19, formerly of Huyton, now of The Brow, Runcorn has already admitted murder.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/02/20/gavin-alker-cleared-of-killing-michael-causer-92534-22974864/2/