Shackled in the dock

[Tom]

THE four sat in the dock in their best Sunday suits, trying to impress the jury. All were perfectly groomed, except for the handcuffs – and the leg-irons.

 

The three-week murder trial that ended on Friday in the Supreme Court in Brisbane was marked by extraordinary behind-the-scenes security and will be remembered by features other than the shackles, which are rarely used in Queensland courts.

 

The jury's verdict of not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter sparked loud weeping from members of the victim's family.

 

The four – Adam Troy Bargenquast, 31, Mark William Holmes, 46, Wade Anthony Davis, 24, and Jon David Farthing, 34 – were remanded in custody for sentence.

 

The Crown alleged they beat and killed Kerrie Edward Palmer, 20, of the Sunshine Coast, over a $3500 drugs debt and buried his body, wrapped in a blanket and covered in lime, in sand dunes at Mudjimba Beach in January 2003.

 

Eight prison officers and police, half of them in plain clothes to blend into the public, were in court during the trial.

 

Before the jury was sworn, only Farthing was in the dock in the body of the court.

 

Prosecutor Todd Fuller told Justice Margaret Wilson that Farthing had made confessional statements to police implicating the others. Jail intelligence was that he was in danger and should be kept apart. Handcuffs could be used as weapons.

 

Defence counsel argued the security arrangement would be prejudicial.

 

Justice Wilson compromised by having the four in the public dock, individually handcuffed and wearing leg irons, with Farthing at one end as far as possible from the others.

 

In January 2003, Farthing gave Palmer, a former street kid and amphetamines user, $3500 to buy cheap cannabis for "Stretch" Holmes.

 

Instead, Palmer took off with the money and Holmes and others began searching the Sunshine Coast for him.

 

The violent hunt culminated about 10pm on January 27, when the four cornered him in Coral Tree Ave, Noosa Heads.

 

A neighbour, Peter Hoult, testified that he unwittingly helped them catch Palmer when he was told a "thief" was hiding in his garden.

 

He turned on garden lights and watched as Palmer was grabbed, belted and driven away. He took the vehicle's registration number, which told police it belonged to Davis's father.

 

Witnesses had difficulty identifying who did what to Palmer. The accused men's lawyers argued there was never any plan to kill Palmer and murder had not been proved.

 

Palmer had six times the maximum therapeutic dose of methylamphetamine in his system and cause of death was not clear.

 

After the verdict, Palmer's father, Kelvin, said: "$3500 – that's what a life is worth".

 

"The verdict was hard to take but (a murder conviction) won't bring him back."

 

Author:PETER HANSEN

Date:01may05

Source:www.thesundaymail.news.com.au

Copyright:© Queensland Newspapers

 

[jackfrost]

these days if ya rip someone, u really got 2 be ready 4 the worst

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

I can't beieve the gov. doesn't care enough about people to stop all this prohibition nonsense.

 

Al Capone didn't drive around rattling machine guns out of car windows because he was bored; it was over the movement of money relating to prohibited stuf.

 

In canada, the gov tried prohibiting cigarettes by increasing tax up to 800%. Although it wasn't outright prohibition, it was set to have the same effect. The Canadian customs officers and police reported that people were robbing convienience stores and servos; ignoring cash registers, and robing the cigarette safes instead.

 

In one case a man was shot and killed over robbing smokes from a shop.

 

So it just doesn't matter what it is, you make it highly valuable, and it starts to cost lives. And when it's illegal, of course it's worse. Just look at what's kept locked up at KMart. Everything under the sun on offer, but they just about need an armed gaurd to get the smokes to the counter.

 

Back to the issue;

 

The FBI apparently released this graph, which shows the murder rate during the time of alcohol prohibition, compared to present day muder rates.

 

Incase the text doesn't come our legible; it mentions that the murder rate was very high during booze prohibition, but when it was repealed, murders dropped overnight. It stayed that way until the US gov. applied it's modern day "war on drugs" which saw the murder rates soar immediately to virtually exactly what the situation was under booze prohibition.

 

And prohibitionists claim nothing conclusive was ever learned from alcohol prohibition....

 

 

 

cheers

rob

[Luke Skywalker]

Which is why I feel that ALL drugs used recreationally should be available to those who choose to use them, with appropriate and FACTUAL education, and the taxes from such sales of these drugs going to treating the tiny, tiny percentage of users who have problems with addiction.

 

Fact is, drugs don't kill people, prohibition kills people, as perfectly illustrated by Robbie.

[KONVICTED KILLA]

Which is why I feel that ALL drugs used recreationally should be available to those who choose to use them, with appropriate and FACTUAL education, and the taxes from such sales of these drugs going to treating the tiny, tiny percentage of users who have problems with addiction.

 

Fact is, drugs don't kill people, prohibition kills people, as perfectly illustrated by Robbie.

Well he kinda deserved his accidental death anyway. Spiking young girls drink that same night but no cunt wants to print the truth. He I am not responsible in any fashion for the piece of shits accident he had, I think his family basicly killed him kicking the little junkie on the street as a 12 yr old only to learn more junkie behaviour which ultimately made the grub fall off a fence. And I got 12 years cause a junkie can't climb a fence without shaping his neck. And the little slut sister of his was bloody embarrassing running out of court squeeling and crying like the thing it is. As far as I'm concerned I hope the whole family has accidents. Ffs I've seen worse violence in a school yard full of grade 1 kids. I'm pretty sure I must deserve at least a sorry. Hey the coons got one from Kevin Rudd. Fuck me I was stolen for 12 years to cause his grub family raised a scum and feed him a drug habit . We went to talk to him. But the dickhead decides he'll land on his head trying to jump a fence. Murder No, manslaughter No. Shit happens kick along with it palmer family.

 

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

[Cookie_Monster]

Every dog gets its day. Even if it is karma thats gets the better of them in the end...