Allister comments on homicide sentence
02 November 2010
TUV Leader Jim Allister QC has joined in expressing unease about the 1 year homicide sentence imposed yesterday.
Commenting Mr Allister said while McLaughlin J was not known for lenient sentences and was an experienced judge, "and generally, in my view, politicians should be slow to second guess judicial decisions, the disparity in this case between public expectation of punishment fitting to circumstances where a man lost his life, and the extremely short sentence imposed was such that the PPS should carefully consider a referral to the Court of Appeal. It is important that a sentence not only reflects all relevant considerations, but fits the crime and offers both a deterrent and sustains public confidence."
