Too Much To Say For Myself

Okay, so I know I wasn’t in the court to hear the evidence. I know all I’ve got to go on are media reports, and they’re not always completely reliable. But. I still can’t get my head around the verdict in the Ronald Tyler case. I mean seriously, how the fuck can someone with a history of domestic violence like this:

The Old Bailey heard Julie McKinley had reported her husband to police 24 times during their 16 year relationship.

Only four ever made it to court while the other 20 were not pursued after she withdrew the allegations.

In January 2004 she claimed Tyler had punched her in the stomach and throttled her until she momentarily blacked out.

She obtained a non-molestation order later that month which was renewed for 12 months on March 16, 2004.

Two months later she withdrew the complaint and they were reconciled.

In April 2006 she made another complaint and Tyler was convicted of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour.

He made subject to another non-molestation order in April 2008 following another attack and in November 2008 was convicted of common assault.

She said Tyler told her: ‘If you stop me seeing my kids I will finish you off.’

He was given a suspended prison sentence but the following year was convicted of breaching the non-molestation order.

Tyler was jailed for a year on July 28, 2009, but was released from jail just three months later in October 2009.

kill his wife and end up with a verdict of “manslaughter on the basis of provocation”? How?

The jury should be fucking ashamed of themselves.

And so should the police, who are now appealing “for victims of domestic violence to come forward and “break the cycle of abuse” after a man who strangled his wife to death was convicted of manslaughter.”

Why on earth would the outcome of the Tyler case prompt any victim of dv to come forward? Come forward for what? So they can be told they provoked the violence too?

Tell you what, how about the police put out an appeal for the perpetrators of domestic violence to come forward instead, so they can break the cycle of their fucking abuse.

And here’s just one example of why victims don’t bother coming forward. Because even when they do, nothing happens:

“Days before her death, Ms Stubbings told police her house had been burgled, that she believed Chivers was responsible and that she feared for her safety.

Chivers already had a conviction for murdering a previous girlfriend and had also been jailed for assaulting Ms Stubbings.

But officers took days to respond to her calls for help.

When they visited her home a week after the first call she was already dead, her body hidden in a downstairs bathroom. Chivers was at the house and told the police she had gone away.

Maria’s brother, Manuel Fernandez, has told Radio 4′s Face The Facts he is astonished they did not probe further.

“How can a convicted murderer open the door, with her car on the drive, her keys in full view and her phone not being answered?

“Her friends had made frequent phone calls to the police, really deeply concerned for her safety, and they left him a calling card and said ‘Well if she comes back, let us know.’”

The following day, officers returned to the house and discovered Maria’s body. In December 2009, Mark Chivers admitted murdering Maria and was jailed for life.”

The IPCC report into the Maria Stubbings case is due to be published any day now. Meanwhile Essex police have apologised for the mistakes its officers made.

Well that’s okay then.