Forum Topic

Poor Little Arthur😢

The stepmother has just been sentenced to life with a minimum of 29 years. His father sentenced to 21 years for manslaughter but he is just as culpable in my opinion.  Should be the death penalty for both of them.  We need a referendum on this.The wicked cowardly bitch wouldn't even face up to her sentencing in Court:Arthur's monster stepmother REFUSES to face justicehttps://mol.im/a/10271303

Sue Hammond ● 1522d37 Comments

Oops sorry I just realised the title should read Brockhill being protected in jail.

Sue Hammond ● 1509d

Sue, I guess the other inmates are calling Brockhill “Number One Target” because she liked to call herself  “Number One Psycho”. Be interesting to hear how hard she is in prison, after all she won’t be up against a defenceless 16 month old baby.

Martine Guy ● 1509d

EXCLUSIVE: Star Hobson's stepmother is 'number one target'https://mol.im/a/10316489It has been put in the Care and Separation Unit in jail to prevent it from being stabbed.  Well at some time it will come into contact with the other prisoners ...

Sue Hammond ● 1509d

The Times today reporting on the concerns of Hollie Jones, the babysitter:  “in the hour before the social workers arrived Smith and her mother cleaned the house and dressed Star in an all-in-one baby suit so she was all covered”. “The child was not properly assessed”. “They just kind of checked all the rooms, checked if they were clean”. “They never really checked Star”. Social services needs a complete overhaul, a restart.  We are talking about our most vulnerable being failed.  That they can fail to see a baby covered in bruises is a disgrace.  
Mail Online says a hard time awaits Brockhill in prison. Good!

Martine Guy ● 1509d

I agree Sue.

Maxine Campbell ● 1510d

I also think the sentences are too lenient.

Martine Guy ● 1510d

I have just heard the sentences for these monsters and I am disgusted by them. 25 years for Brockwill who apparently laughed when the sentence was read out and only 8 years for Smith who was convicted of causing or allowing her daughter's death.  8 years!!!! I am totally shocked.

Sue Hammond ● 1510d

Hi Michael.  Obviously we don't know all the details and can only form an opinion from the reports that we read in the papers. I assume Smith was only sentenced to manslaughter because it wasn't her who actually committed the extreme acts of violence inflicted on little Star. However I haven't read in any paper that Smith attempted to stop Brockwill from stamping on the baby's stomach and using her as a human punchbag so I can only assume that she did not.  Smith allowed this murder to happen so as far as I am concerned she is just as guilty as Brookwill and should be sentenced in the same way.

Sue Hammond ● 1510d

Sue. I agree it's another appalling case. However, we've only read what the papers have reported whereas the jury sat through all the evidence so one has to trust their judgement in not finding Smith guilty of murder. Would you hang those not guilty of murder as well? Where would you stop?

Michael Ixer ● 1511d

Listening to it all on the news, and the warnings given to social workers, it is time for a complete review of social care, whether it’s for children or older people.  Huge sums of money are being thrown at it, but the most vulnerable are being failed. On the news the babysitter said that social services told the parents when they were going to visit, so the parents were on their best happy family behaviour when the social workers came round.

Martine Guy ● 1511d

Truly shocking. Poor beautiful baby girl.  Brockhill and Smith are equally culpable imo.  Another two perfect contenders for the rope.

Sue Hammond ● 1511d

I do hope the murderers of 16 month old Star Hobson get equally severe sentencing. Again the social workers were warned by concerned grandparents.  Seeing the photo of the killer punching a punchbag, gives an insight into what this baby must have gone through.  

Martine Guy ● 1511d

Clearly this child should have been rescued from this dysfunctional 'family', particularly as grandparents and others had raised concerns.  Prioritising 'keeping the family together' must surely be questioned, as in reality, this child, like many others, would have been better off with almost anyone else but their family.

Peter Evans ● 1516d

I agree. I have been unable to fully follow this due to how harrowing it was. while I understand that gut instinct and anger may wish for the death of these evil people, I too remember why we removed the death penalty in the first place. one can only hope they have an unfortunate accident in prison.The system has failed Arthur. Makes my heart hurt as a mother and a human being.

Maxine Campbell ● 1519d

It was very interesting to hear the listeners who phoned in after Any Questions yesterday.  They included the families of children who had alerted or tried to alert Social Services and the Police to the situation and state in which these children were being brought up in and their worries about them.It also included the difficulties that Social Services had in speaking to the children on their own.  There is a lot of manipulation and threat going on in these families which makes it difficult for the social workers to get the information they need.  Social Services have an increase in bureaucracy, lack of continuity and experience in managementetc and of course the constant cuts.  Of all the jobs that are important for the Councils to do which need proper funding this is certainly one of them. I expect you can listen again to Any Questions on the BBC Radio 4 website.

Philippa Bond ● 1520d

The Birmingham Six would be long dead. Sue would have hung them. Simples.

Michael Winstanley ● 1521d

A quote is a titbit and trivialises a complex case, whether it be made here or in the Evening Standard. I have done jury service a few times too and to be fair, you get all sorts in the jury room.Let's just forget what the jury or the judge had to say and have the seven frequent readers of/contributers to PutneySW15 decide the case, the sentence and then lynch the defendants outside Putney Exchange according to their whim.

Michael Winstanley ● 1521d

Our system is far from perfect and just as things may go wrong one way the Unduly Lenient Sentences (The Criminal Justice Act 1998) exists because mistakes do happen and should be corrected.But why shouldn't we question judges decisions. We are not newspaper owners or government ministers? Are Judges representative of the population?

Ed Robinson ● 1521d

@MWA quote taken from the transcript of this trial and published in a newspaper is not media hype or biased reporting however much you like to sneer.  All mainstream newspapers have their journalists in court when a major trial is taking place so I assume the Evening Standard would not quote and publish something as damming as this if it wasn't true.  Unless you know better of course.🙄Thanks for explaining how a jury comes to a decision but fyi I have been called to do jury service twice, at the Old Bailey, and one of the trials was a murder case.

Sue Hammond ● 1521d

Well I was trying to put it politely. A jury sits through days of detailed evidence in a trial like this and discusses it for many hours. What is produced in the press is highly selective and biased. Most people who have served on a jury in a complex case understand this. You don't get even close to making a fair 2nd guess of the verdict from reading the tabloids and shouldn't presume to try, though I accept they present a tantalising encouragement to do so which any keen reader will find hard to resist. Trying to sum up a case like this in a short quote on a bulletin board is simply dumbing down to the nth with an extra layer of mediocrity.The jury system in the UK and our judicial system are a fundamental part of our democracy. We should respect them - particularly we should respect the considerd view of the jury which has had to listen to that dreadful story and deliberate on that dreadful case. Sentencing is a matter for the judge - again, someone who is well-versed in what he is doing, not some amateur gainsayer.

Michael Winstanley ● 1521d

It's a very shocking case Sue. With many people like myself unable to read the details because they are so horrendous and upsetting. On the subject of the death penalty I'm reminded of cases that have seen innocent people sentenced when the system knew they were innocent. Political pressure meant someone had to be locked up. They didn't really car who.Even without political pressure there was a miscarriage of justice nearer home. An innocent may almost went to prison. Mistakes happen.Then there are those that were charged with murder because of cot deaths. Recommendations concerning temperature and baby sleep positions have been changed etc. Children that kill present another issue. Sadly there seem to be several cases where the killer has been a child. Several more in the news this week.But what of state murder that resulted in  hundreds of our troops and millions of civilians being killed, many young children? No conviction for those not even a procecution.My suspicion would be that we would end up like the US where those less fortunate face the death penalty but those well off escape. It does seem that sentences do seem very light.https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/nov/20/sally-clark-cot-death-mothers-wrongly-jailed

Ed Robinson ● 1521d

@MW"This is probably because you were not a member of the jury"Not probably, obviously.🙄 So what? Much of the evidence given in court has been widely reported and it's clear Hughes was complicit in the torture and murder of little Arthur.From the Evening Standard:"Hughes, also of Solihull, was convicted of manslaughter after encouraging the killing by his actions, including sending a text message to Tustin 18 hours before the fatal assault telling her “just end him”.

Sue Hammond ● 1521d

"I cannot understand why Hughes was only convicted of manslaughter"This is probably because you were not a  member of the jury and were not exposed to the entire evidential base of the case, nor able to take part in their discussion, rather than simply skimming the titbits made available in the media.

Michael Winstanley ● 1521d

The sentences for the killers of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes are to be reviewed by the attorney general "to determine whether they were too low".http://news.sky.com/story/arthur-labinjo-hughes-should-have-been-top-priority-for-social-services-but-was-missed-during-covid-12485989I cannot understand why Hughes was only convicted of manslaughter when he actively encouraged Tustin to kill his son.  I hope both sentences are upgraded to whole life terms. *On Friday it emerged Tustin had tried to take an overdose and hang herself in prison after already being attacked in jail by inmates dousing her with salt.

Sue Hammond ● 1521d

According to MailOnline Tustin “cowered in her cell in the court building rather than face justice”.  Why wasn’t she dragged into the dock?  Why are murderers given this choice? I hope she is enjoying the first night of her 29 year minimum life sentence.

Martine Guy ● 1522d

The social services there should take a share of the blame. Tragic example of do-gooders failing the very people they should protecting.

Freddie Francis ● 1522d

It is absolutely terrible what happened and long sentences are certainly deserved.As to the death penalty and referendums, we only have referendums in this country on constitutional matters and this would be inappropriate.Vote for a party that has this in its manifesto. Or encourage a party to adopt it as a policy.

Michael Winstanley ● 1522d

Can you imagine a 6 year old being made to stand for 14 hours? Yet this cowardly, murdering woman does not have the guts to stand in court to receive her sentence. The political parties do not want to be seen as being soft on crime, so here is a suggestion for them — murderers have to face sentencing in person in the court, even if it means dragging or carrying them into court.  Families of victims should be able to see the murderers reaction when they receive their sentence.

Martine Guy ● 1522d

Wicked b...rds like these seem to have no problem keeping their children. What my son and his wife would have given to have kept and loved their stillborn little lad.Not sure religion stacks up in these cases this God fella must be wicked.

Andy Pike ● 1522d

It was just heartbreaking Matt I couldn't stop thinking about the poor little lad.

Sue Hammond ● 1522d

@Martine 14.51I agree there should be no choice.  To refuse to face the judge for sentencing is contempt of court and any defendant who refuses to leave their cell should automatically get 10 years added to their sentence.  I know that wouldn't make much difference here but this beast should have been physically dragged into the dock.

Sue Hammond ● 1522d

I paused the news last night so i could then skip past it, just horrific.

Matt Palmer ● 1522d

I find it very hard to look at the poor little boys face on the news, it really upsets me. Going off somewhere else now, why didn't the grandmother get custody to look after the little boy. It's so sad.

Barbara Stevens ● 1522d

Sue, you mention this wicked woman not having the guts to face sentencing in the court. Anybody understand why someone who has been convicted of murder should be given this privilege of not attending when their sentence is read out.  They should not be given the choice, when they have committed murder.

Martine Guy ● 1522d

Most inmates absolutely hate the people who commit crimes against children and I hope these two disgusting monsters live every single day in fear.

Sue Hammond ● 1522d

I would to add I have found the case so harrowing, I have barely been able to read the details and didn’t want to watch the video clip of the little boy, but it was on last night’s news. I understand a funeral still hasn’t taken place because the families can’t agree on where poor Arthur should be buried.  Awful.

Martine Guy ● 1522d

Sue, I am pleased to hear the sentences handed out to these completely evil people.  Didn’t Levi Bellfield refuse to attend court for sentencing?  Why are cowardly murderers permitted to do this?  
Hell on Earth awaits this couple, when the other inmates get hold of them.  Good!

Martine Guy ● 1522d