Post by daisy on Feb 23, 2007 11:02:00 GMT -5
race shooting or mentally ill shooting ?
shooting spree racist jailed for life
a gunman who went on a shooting spree
just weeks after being convicted of a violent race attack
was today
jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years.
former boxer john laidlaw, 24,
said he was going to "kill all black people"
after being arrested for an attack on a motorist.
just 19 days after being given a community punishment
for the racially-aggravated assault,
he took to the streets of north london
and fired on two black men.
one of them,
father-of-three abu kamara,
was left fighting for his life
while another bullet brushed past intended victim evans baptiste
and struck an irish woman, emma sheridan, in the back.
mr abu kamara, a social worker, was gunned down
in upper street, islington, as he was going for a drink
with friends after a game of badminton. half an hour later
laidlaw shot at mr baptiste at finsbury park tube station.
rulings
an old bailey jury, who was not told about his previous attack
on a driver in 2004, yesterday found laidlaw,
of sussex way, holloway, north london,
guilty on three counts of attempted murder
and two firearms charges.
judge samuel wiggs said: "within the space of less than an hour
you fired at least three shots at members of the public.
"you shot mr abu kamara
for no better reason than
your friend came into contact with a sports bag.
you shot him in the face
at extremely close range."
the judge noted that the victim still had a bullet
lodged close to his spinal column in the back of his throat.
"fortunately for him he retains good mobility
but i am not surprised by
what he has said about the devastating effects
your action has had on his life and the prognosis is uncertain.
you intended to kill him."
the judge added:
"although both people you aimed at were black
i make no finding that your crimes were
racially motivated."
he told laidlaw, whose convictions date back to the age of 14, that he had a "bad" criminal record including robberies with weapons - although not guns
by john-paul ford rojas, pa
published: february 23, 2007
news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2298357.ece
___
shooting spree racist jailed for life
a gunman who went on a shooting spree
just weeks after being convicted of a violent race attack
was today
jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years.
former boxer john laidlaw, 24,
said he was going to "kill all black people"
after being arrested for an attack on a motorist.
just 19 days after being given a community punishment
for the racially-aggravated assault,
he took to the streets of north london
and fired on two black men.
one of them,
father-of-three abu kamara,
was left fighting for his life
while another bullet brushed past intended victim evans baptiste
and struck an irish woman, emma sheridan, in the back.
mr abu kamara, a social worker, was gunned down
in upper street, islington, as he was going for a drink
with friends after a game of badminton. half an hour later
laidlaw shot at mr baptiste at finsbury park tube station.
rulings
an old bailey jury, who was not told about his previous attack
on a driver in 2004, yesterday found laidlaw,
of sussex way, holloway, north london,
guilty on three counts of attempted murder
and two firearms charges.
judge samuel wiggs said: "within the space of less than an hour
you fired at least three shots at members of the public.
"you shot mr abu kamara
for no better reason than
your friend came into contact with a sports bag.
you shot him in the face
at extremely close range."
the judge noted that the victim still had a bullet
lodged close to his spinal column in the back of his throat.
"fortunately for him he retains good mobility
but i am not surprised by
what he has said about the devastating effects
your action has had on his life and the prognosis is uncertain.
you intended to kill him."
the judge added:
"although both people you aimed at were black
i make no finding that your crimes were
racially motivated."
he told laidlaw, whose convictions date back to the age of 14, that he had a "bad" criminal record including robberies with weapons - although not guns
by john-paul ford rojas, pa
published: february 23, 2007
news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2298357.ece
___