It's Not His Fault

[McBif]

This charming youth steals a car, steals gas, runs over the gas station attendant (and drags him to a lovely death over 7.5 kilometers) and gets 7 years. If he doesn't assault the guards too many times or get caught mainlining too many often he'll serve perhaps a third of his sentence because of his good behavior.

 

Out in 2 1/2 years.

 

What would the late young guy working the night shift at the gas station think, I wonder?

 

Who cares?

 

I tell you boys, it's all over. I give up. Our society is not worth defending anymore. Come and get us Jihadists, Chinks, whatever...

 

Sentence reduced in B.C. gas-dragging death case

 

Updated Tue. Apr. 3 2007 6:29 PM ET

 

Canadian Press

 

VANCOUVER -- British Columbia's appeal court reduced the sentence Tuesday of a teenager who dragged a gas station attendant to a gruesome death over a tank of gas, ruling that the original sentence didn't properly account for his youth and his aboriginal background.

 

The three B.C. Court of Appeal judges unanimously agreed Darnell Pratt's sentence should be reduced to seven years from nine.

 

"This remains, in the scheme of youth sentencing, a very heavy sentence,'' wrote Justice Mary Saunders. "But it is not, in my view, one that could be said to be crushing to this young person who faces the challenge of atoning for his offence.''

 

The decision angered Grant De Patie's father, who has tirelessly lobbied governments to impose a law requiring people to pay before they pump their gas.

 

"I think nine years was a small price to pay,'' Doug De Patie said in an interview.

 

He said the judges of the Appeal Court will ultimately have to live with their decision.

 

"That lies on their heads. It's them that ultimately has to be held accountable. I'm embarrassed for Canadians that this is the sentence that you get in Canada for the crime that was committed that day.''

 

Grant De Patie was working in a gas station on the night of March 7, 2005, when Pratt and a friend pulled in driving a stolen car and proceeded to pump gas.

 

De Patie noticed the ignition of their car had been punched out with a screwdriver and wrote down the licence plate.

 

Pratt's trial heard the pair panicked. Pratt took off, driving into De Patie who became trapped underneath the car.

 

De Patie was dragged for 7.5 kilometres. Court heard Pratt told a friend he had killed a person and that he had heard screaming under the car.

 

Pratt pleaded guilty. His lawyer argued for a sentence of just over five years and the Crown argued for just over nine years.

 

The judge settled on a nine-year sentence last May.

 

But Saunders wrote that although Pratt was sentenced as an adult, he remains a youth and that should have made a difference to his sentence.

 

"While an adult sentence is reserved...for the most serious crimes, the adult sentence imposed will not necessarily be lock-step with the sentence that would be imposed upon an adult in circumstances that are identical except for the offender's age.''

 

Saunders also said Pratt's disadvantaged aboriginal background required "greater emphasis.''

 

The trial heard that he grew up without a father and with a mother who was a drug addict.

 

Poor Killer

[Bangkoktraveler]

If this case hapened on March 7, 2005, that means he could have already spent 2 years in jail (that is if he didn't get bail). If he has already served 2 years then that means he can get out in as little as 1/2 year.

[Flashermac]

<< ruling that the original sentence didn't properly account for his youth and his aboriginal background.>>

 

That means he is permitted to scalp people too???