Teenage killers of dog-walker ‘got away with murder’, says family
THE family of a dog-walker who died after being attacked by a gang of school children have said his killers have “got away with murder”.
John Hackett, 36, was found dead at his home hours after he was set upon by three teenagers as he was walking in his local park.
In the weeks before the attack, the youths subjected Mr Hackett, the sole carer of his disabled mother, to verbal abuse whenever he passed through a recreation ground in Nuneaton, Warks.
His killers, a 16-year-old girl and two 15-year-old boys, who cannot be named owing to their age, were originally charged with his murder, but prosecutors accepted their guilty plea to manslaughter.
Mr Hackett’s uncle, David Hambridge, said that for “justice to be done” the Crown Prosecution Service should have charged the trio with murder.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Hambridge said: “What happened is tragic and has devastated our family. The fact that the Crown accepted their pleas on manslaughter means they have got away with my nephew’s murder.”
Yesterday, at Warwick Crown Court, the killers were sentenced for the “truly shocking” attack, and told they will serve half of their sentences in custody, with the rest under supervision in the community.
Both 15-year-old boys were sentenced to a total of two years, while the 16-year-old girl was sentenced to 18 months.
The judge described it as a “senseless and brutal attack in broad daylight”.
Mr Hackett was attacked on Apr 25 last year after he confronted the group about their behaviour towards him over the preceding weeks.
He begged for his life after he was “choke-slammed” to the ground, and repeatedly punched and kicked.
The girl filmed the attack on her mobile phone before joining in with the assault. The video was shared widely on social media.
Police were called by a member of the public who witnessed the attack and spoke to the three teenagers who all claimed they had been acting in self-defence.
The officers then went to Mr Hackett’s house where they found him in considerable distress having suffered injuries to his head and chest.
They took him to hospital but two hours later he discharged himself and went home where he collapsed the following morning.
His mother, Christine Smith, for whom he was the sole carer, found him dead at the top of the stairs after he had collapsed at the house they shared overlooking the recreational ground. Mr Hambridge said: “John was a rock to my sister. He was her only child. She had suffered a stroke and is registered disabled and John helped care for her. She is lost without him.”
Mr Hambridge from Atherstone, Warks, added: “Manslaughter charges have gone in their favour. It is the easier option and means a shorter sentence. At one time it would have been murder but now all the prisons are full. The law needs sorting out, it is all over the place.
“It’s a shame it wasn’t murder, so justice could really be done.”