Under Supervision

[shaunbhoy]

Sixth man guilty of girl's murder

The six men responsible for the murder of Mary-Ann
A sixth gang member behind the kidnap and stabbing of Mary-Ann Leneghan has been found guilty of murder.
Indrit Krasniqi, 18, of Chiswick, west London, was convicted on Monday. Four men had already been found guilty and a fifth man had admitted the murder.

Four of the gang were on probation at the time of the killing in Reading, Berkshire, it has been revealed.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke said it was "vital" lessons were learned. Sentencing was adjourned to 28 April.

Drug-dealer Adrian Thomas, 20, of Battersea, and fellow gang-members Michael Johnson, 19, of Southfields, Jamaile Morally, 22, of Balham, and Krasniqi were all under supervision when the 16-year-old was stabbed to death and her friend shot in the head in May 2005.

I deeply regret the tragic death

Charles Clarke


Case puts focus on probation

Thomas, Morally, Morally's brother Joshua, 23, of Balham, and their friend Llewellyn Adams, 24, also from Balham, were found guilty of the killing at Reading Crown Court on Friday while Johnson, of Southfields, confessed during the eight-week trial.

They were also convicted of various charges of rape, assault, kidnap and attempted murder.

Krasniqi was also found guilty of attempted murder but cleared on two counts of rape on Monday. He had been convicted of kidnap and assault on Friday.


Mary-Ann was found dead in a park in Reading

Home Secretary Charles Clarke he would be studying the case with a view to making changes to the system of managing criminals on probation.

He said: "I deeply regret the tragic death of Mary-Ann Leneghan and my thoughts and sympathies go out to Mary-Ann's family and friends as well as to the other victim in this dreadful case.

"Public protection remains my absolute priority and it will continue to guide this government's policies and practices.

"It is always disturbing when a serious crime is committed by offenders under supervision in the community.

"It is vital that we learn any lessons we can from these cases and take any steps necessary to ensure that offenders are properly managed and the public are properly protected."

Mary-Ann 'butchered'

The trial was told that Mary-Ann and an older friend, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were abducted in the town in the early hours of 7 May last year.

The killing was a revenge execution for a robbery which Thomas believed the girls had "set up".

After a three-hour ordeal of torture and rape in a hotel room they were driven in the boot of Adams' car to nearby Prospect Park where Mary-Ann's friend was forced to watch as the younger girl was "butchered" in front of her.

As Mary-Ann lay dying, her friend had a gun put to her head and was shot at point blank range.

But she survived and went on to give evidence against her six attackers.

What a good job the Social Services were keeping a close eye on this shower eh? One can only guess what they might have got up to had this discrete surveillance wavered in its intensity.
Mind you, you can't really blame them because they had underprivileged childhoods. Grrrr!

[The Lone Gunman]

For a change, I have to agree with you bhoyho.

Isnt it about time they stopped "regretting" these awful incidents and started doing something about stopping them?
I notice he didnt regret it enough to resign!

[Lucifer Box]

That's right, Zeity. If you're a New Labour minister and get caught doing something dodgy or even downright illegal, it's apparently okay as long as you say "sorry" (even if you really mean "I'm not sorry I did it, just sorry you caught me doing it).

I'm thinking of trying it the next time I get arrested.

[zathras]

Social services are absolute bastards. They were probably too busy doing the paperwork of hiding up bureaucracy instead. They have a habit of wriggling away from blame by buck-passing whenever they **** up (which is regularly).

Hey another New Labour trait. It's either "I'm sorry - yada yada" or "It wasn't me - it was my department".

All due respects to Social Services but should any of these be on probation in the first place.

[Dundeegeorge]

You're actually being very unfair to Social Services

they have an almost impossible task because the judiciary will not lock people up for long enough, and the probationary office are dead keen to get people out on to the streets.
Nah, **** it you're right, the useless tossers should all be sacked and replaced by executioners. It would certainly get my vote.

[expat]

Social services are absolute bastards. They were probably too busy doing the paperwork of hiding up bureaucracy instead. They have a habit of wriggling away from blame by buck-passing whenever they **** up (which is regularly).

Hey another New Labour trait. It's either "I'm sorry - yada yada" or "It wasn't me - it was my department".

How about the possibility that they really are overworked and underfunded. Yes I know you work your arse off too. But a missed target for them is different.

Is the probation service's workload high? Well, I heard on the radio this morning that 1 in 3 men in the UK have a serious criminal conviction. They've got 1/4 million on probation at any given time. No funding from the government and no support from the public. Not surprising they can't track them all. They only get to find out later which ones they should have been prioritising.