This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/28/teenager-james-fairweather-loses-appeal-sentence-essex-knife-murders
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Teenager loses appeal over 27-year sentence for Essex knife murders Teenager loses appeal over 27-year sentence for Essex knife murders | |
| (2 months later) | |
| A teenager who stabbed two strangers to death in Essex in 2014 has lost his appeal against a minimum term of 27 years’ detention. | A teenager who stabbed two strangers to death in Essex in 2014 has lost his appeal against a minimum term of 27 years’ detention. |
| James Fairweather was 15 when he carried out random attacks on James Attfield and Nahid Almanea in Colchester. Despite claiming to have been possessed by the devil, he was found guilty of the murders and in April was sentenced at the Old Bailey by Mr Justice Spencer, who said the killings were “brutal and sadistic”. | James Fairweather was 15 when he carried out random attacks on James Attfield and Nahid Almanea in Colchester. Despite claiming to have been possessed by the devil, he was found guilty of the murders and in April was sentenced at the Old Bailey by Mr Justice Spencer, who said the killings were “brutal and sadistic”. |
| Lawyers for Fairweather argued that the trial judge had failed to give sufficient weight to his age at the time of the murders or the abnormality of his mental function, but the appeal judges said Spencer had this well in mind and could not be faulted. | Lawyers for Fairweather argued that the trial judge had failed to give sufficient weight to his age at the time of the murders or the abnormality of his mental function, but the appeal judges said Spencer had this well in mind and could not be faulted. |
| Appeal court judge Lord Justice Treacy said on Wednesday: “We are not persuaded it was manifestly excessive in an extremely serious case in which an experienced trial judge took much care over the process of sentencing.” | Appeal court judge Lord Justice Treacy said on Wednesday: “We are not persuaded it was manifestly excessive in an extremely serious case in which an experienced trial judge took much care over the process of sentencing.” |
| The judges said: “In the circumstances we are not persuaded that the judge fell into error in fixing the minimum term which he did.” | The judges said: “In the circumstances we are not persuaded that the judge fell into error in fixing the minimum term which he did.” |
| Inspired by notorious serial killers, Fairweather stabbed 33-year-old Attfield 102 times as he lay drunk and helpless in a park in Colchester in March 2014. | Inspired by notorious serial killers, Fairweather stabbed 33-year-old Attfield 102 times as he lay drunk and helpless in a park in Colchester in March 2014. |
| Three months later, he attacked Essex University student Almanea. The 31-year-old was attacked with a bayonet and stabbed in both eyes as she walked alone along the Salary Brook nature trail in daylight. | Three months later, he attacked Essex University student Almanea. The 31-year-old was attacked with a bayonet and stabbed in both eyes as she walked alone along the Salary Brook nature trail in daylight. |
| Police believed Fairweather was searching for a third victim when he was apprehended in May 2015. At the time of his arrest, he was wearing gloves and armed with a lock knife. | Police believed Fairweather was searching for a third victim when he was apprehended in May 2015. At the time of his arrest, he was wearing gloves and armed with a lock knife. |
| He had researched serial killers including Ian Huntley, Myra Hindley and the “Yorkshire Ripper”, Peter Sutcliffe, of whom he had a picture on his phone. | He had researched serial killers including Ian Huntley, Myra Hindley and the “Yorkshire Ripper”, Peter Sutcliffe, of whom he had a picture on his phone. |
| Fairweather also had a collection of horror films including Wrong Turn: The Carnage Collection, a DVD about Sutcliffe and a book called The World’s Worst Crimes. | Fairweather also had a collection of horror films including Wrong Turn: The Carnage Collection, a DVD about Sutcliffe and a book called The World’s Worst Crimes. |
| He admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, claiming he heard voices that compelled him to kill, but was convicted of murder after an expert told his trial that his description of the hallucinations sounded like something copied from a horror film. | He admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, claiming he heard voices that compelled him to kill, but was convicted of murder after an expert told his trial that his description of the hallucinations sounded like something copied from a horror film. |