What corrupts the human condition such that a person is prepared to take a knife, hunt down a target and mutilate, maim or murder them? What causes an innocent baby to transform, years later, into an aggressor with murderous intent?
The Gasjet yesterday covered an incident which appalled me and to be honest filled me with rage. Today it has entered the national press. It concerns 22 year old Kieran Whitfield, who was walking home from a night out in Blackpool on August 29th, 2009. He was accosted by a pack of three teenagers, chased along St. Annes Road to Aintree Road and was set upon with a knife.
18 year old David Watson stabbed Mr Whitfield 4 times, passed the knife on to his 17 year old accomplice who stabbed him a further three times, severing his spinal cord. Then 18 year old Zacharay Penn entered the fray, finishing Mr Whitfield off with a powerful kick as he lay helpless and bleeding on the ground. They filmed all of the events on a mobile phone and today the Gazette have released some audio from it.
After the event, the gang boasted to each other about the attack, detailing the actions each had taken. Some of the audio from the mobile phone recording went as follows,
“this is what went on, yeah…
“you missed that swing with the knife…
“so I stabbed hi-.. when he tried to run away I caught him and stabbed him… stabbed him… stabbed him four times, headbutted him so he went on the floor and then…
“…and then you stabbed him three times, you stamped on his head and I kicked him so he’s unconscious, obviously”
The police have a slightly longer version of the audio, which I urge you to listen to in order to confirm the type of people these are.
A passer-by found Mr Whitfield in a very serious condition just after 5.30am and he was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital. He spent 5 months in hospital before being released.
Detective Inspector Angela Grey said;
“Watson, Penn and the 17 year old boy had all been drinking on the night Kieran was attacked and their actions were definitely fuelled by alcohol. Lancashire Constabulary will not tolerate this behaviour and people should be warned that they will be brought to justice.”
Justice?
The two teenage knife wielders, David Watson and the unnamed 17 year old, received 9 year custodial sentences for section 18 wounding with intent. The third perpetrator, Zacharay Penn, received a 52-week suspended sentence and is free to commit further offences. Apparently aiding and abetting a knife wielding duo and powering a kick into the perforated stomach their helpless, permanently paralysed victim only counts as affray.
Kieran Whitfield, who was lucky to still be alive, is wheelchair bound for the rest of his life.
Once again the justice system has failed the victim and his family, and the perpetrators will leave their custodial holiday camp in about 5 years, undeterred from reoffending and without a passing thought for Mr Whitfield.
Whilst we can never introduce the death penalty due to the EU constitution, is it not time people like Watson, Penn and the other unnamed attacker received some dismemberment, as they do in Middle Eastern and Asian states? It’s time that offenders started feeling some pain for their crimes, rather than being taken under Her Majesty’s wing for a life of free food, free Sky TV, free games consoles, free ultra-modern gymnasiums, free holidays and free education.
Perhaps if they are going to allow criminals to leave jail early, they can offer them a deal. Serve the full sentence, or serve half and have their fingers chopped off so they can never wield a knife again. The more obsessive with human rights we have become, the more lenient the justice meted out by the system has become. It’s time to go back to basics.
Note to parents, too. This incident happened opposite Palatine Community Sports College, which is next to the site for the proposed £4million MyPlace youth hub that the council wants you to send your kids to. I already knew the area was a bit untoward, but if I knew that it harboured brutal gangs – one of whom is still at large thanks to the ultra-lenient justice system – I certainly would not allow my children to go anywhere near it.
I go back to the questions I posed at start of this article. What happens in the life of an innocent infant that creates a bloodthirsty thug in later years? What creates the mentality that wishes to attack and critically injure a passer by on a whim?
I’m fucking disgusted by this, ive walked around that area before after midnight, and driven down st annes road after midnight countless times and i would have never imagined something like that could have happend. These are the little PRICKS you see walking in groups up and down highfield road on friday nights and on the parks…
Now it was only a few years ago that i was one of those that congregated around there myself with loads of mates.. but i never would have imagined that some of them would have the utter mindlessness to do something like this, then laugh and joke about it as if they stole a fucking creme egg.
The question is.. what in the blue jesus christ do we do about stuff like this? We cant expect police to patrol none stop down every road 24 hours a day. And the answer CERTAINlY isnt a “youth centre”, to tell you the truth it will be the butt of jokes and none of the “bad” ones will bother to attend, its much more fun to get stoned with your mates and roam the streets robbing and scaring people.. the problem isnt them having nothing to do.. because that IS what they do..
I long for the day that this happens to the children of Judges, barristers, senior politicians and most of all the massive Prison Reform industry. Only when these people are directly effected will they put punishment at the top of their agenda rather than human rights for prisoners.
It’s not directly the judges’ fault, but the Government are happy for people to blame them because it takes the pressure off them.
I know a judge extremely well, and I am assured that judges also feel that their hands are tied. Even if they want to, there is no point in them dishing out sentences that do not conform to Government guidelines and previous precedents that have been set.
Of course, a judge could dish out a 1000 year prison sentence for stealing a Mars bar, but because that isn’t within guidelines set by the Lord Chief Justice (aka the Government), it would be appealed and the appeal would be successful.
You’ll never see a judge on a crusade to change the system, because they would find they were not getting any sittings after a short time and would never get any promotions. It looks bad for a judge if they get appealed all the time, it suggests that they either don’t agree with the rules or are unable to follow them.
The source of the lenient laws and prison sentences is the Government and that’s where the buck stops.
In this case, the CPS pursued section 18 wounding with intent rather than murder, but the maximum prison sentence is the same: life.
9 years, whilst a very high sentence for a section 18 offence, is far from life.
which they should have got, with a 30 year tarif.
who will be out this year and FOREVER and EVER, amen!
bar, ignore the typo of “children’s” in my first post, it should be singular.Sorted it
The problem is we have an underclass of youth who get given everything and are made to do nothing to deserve it. I think there is absolutely a case for a justice system based on “an eye for an eye” where violence is involved. In the news today is a case of 30 cars being damaged in Ansdell in one evening. Of course this is because kids getting drunk have no responsibilty and choose to spend their evenings spoiling what others have worked for (and the police of course believing that in an evening crime can’t be committed in Lytham St. Annes). It’s not as shocking, but how long before these vandals resort to attacking people rather than cars? These three are very lucky they didn’t do this to a member of my family – or they’d get a lot worse back regardless of the consequences for me.
sometimes they DO attack people, im sure there are a large number of occurances that have gone unreported.
Zach Penn, actually didn’t kick him in the head, he kicked him in the stomach and although that was just as bad- HE DIDN’T REPEATEDLY KICK HIM IN THE HEAD and he DID NOT KNOW THE OTHER TWO HAD KNIFES.
Fine, I have corrected my text.
So he only stood there watching his two friends take turns stabbing Kieran Whitfield and gave him a swift boot for good measure? Well, that’s OK then. Lets give him a fucking round of applause.
Next you’ll be telling me he didn’t know the other two perpetrators, had never hung around causing trouble before and just happened to be there.
If you knew the story fully, then you would be aware of the fact that Penn only cuaght up with the pair after the stabbing had occurred. During the night in question, Penn was wearing pumps and if you have ever worn pumps I am sure you will know no great amount of pressure can be exerted without causing pain to the person wearing the pumps? So if he kicked him as hard as people are claiming surely he would have sustained some sort of injury to himself? The fact that he knew the other two, is something I can’t deny but he has said himself if Watson had not been present, no trouble would have happened that night. Penn has never been in any kind of trouble before this- the judge said that himself in court. Watson had previously been charged with Battery and Racially Aggrevated Abuse.
You said in your previous post that he did kick the guy? now you’re changing your story?
which is it.
You seem to be forgetting that the victim had been stabbed repeatedly in the stomach. Yes, that very stomach that your friend Mr Penn booted.
I’m not really surprised that he’s blaming someone else for the fact that he booted a man that would probably have died had someone not turned up to help him.
It’s time people like him took responsibility. He was there, he saw them do it and he did fuck all.
They all should have got life, 25 years minimum, these scum-scroats give our town a bad name,in fact a gas chamber seems the only solution for this vermin after what they did to that poor lad who will wake up every morning, wishing he was dead.
9 fuckin years, what a disgrace and affront to proper people and justice, Jesus wept……………again.
Penn kicked him once, not repeatedly.
Thank God for that admission… For a moment there, I thought you were going to absolve him of all responsibility for his part in permanently disabling an innocent person!
I’m not changing my story? the first time I said that he didn’t kick him in the head. I never denied he kicked him. Then I mentioned how if he kicked him as hard as people are claiming why wouldn’t he have hurt himself? Then I re-read the post and it still says Penn kicked him repeatedly. It was once and of course this still isn’t right it was totally uncalled for. In fact, it was disgusting and I’m not saying I agree with it.
are you deluded? you really think it would help his story if he said ” yes i kicked him so hard i broke my toe”
of course he would fucking claim he didnt hurt his foot, why would he?
I changed it, I told you.
I can’t believe you’re on here arguing about how hard he kicked him.
He did fuck all to help that man and left him there to die.
I am clearly aware that he had been stabbed but like I keep saying Penn was only aware of when the video was being recorded. If you listen to the video, there are two distinct voices and neither of these are Penn. If you think his punishment is unfair, then you should blame the Judge, he was the one who decided upon the sentence.
Oh fuck off, did all the blood not give it away?
Since you mention the video, where can I see it? I’ve only heard the voice clips from the Gasjet and the police.
Penn is scum and deserves to get get trial by blunt knife.
Give him viagra, put his knob in a vice,set the room alight and give him a blunt knife.
Harold i hear they are short of ideas for the new ‘saw’ film… you might be able to make some cash there
Believe me jamesh, I think Jigsaw should be a nemesis for these people, he does have a legitamate use, lol
/agree
Tell you what Phil, living under al abour goverment all these years has now converted me to supporting the restoration of the death penalty.
Everyone’s entitled to an opinion? I’ll let you have yours. Like I have said also, I AM disgusted by what happened, it was uncalled for and obviously shows what today’s youths are capable of. I also agree with the fact that they should not be let out after nine years after the judge branded them “medium risk”. Penn SHOULD have received a prison sentence to. What I am disagreeing with, is the way you have chose to word your story, considering- you have not received any information about the case prior to reading the paper I presume?
I’m sure Phil can be forgiven for a very slight mistake in the detail. But you sound far more indignant about that than the actual crime that took place and one of the criminals who perpetrated it.
Whether or not Penn kicked the victim once or several times doesn’t really matter – it’s that he sought to take part in the first place and after the fact that a violent assault had already taken place.
Penn(is) should have got 9 years, the other 2 LIFE, 25 years MINIMUM.
If you’ve read the article you’ll see most of the sources I have used. They’re the bits in red. You’ll be able to see them when you take your rose-tinted specs off.
You are entitled to an opinion, but it seems to me you’re trying to defend the indefensible.
I’ve conceded that there was one kick and edited the copy accordingly, but that kick was into the stomach that had been punctured several times by Zach’s knife-wielding friends who were (according to sources) covered in blood, were (according to you) known by Zach as troublemakers and to top it all off had previous convictions.
The guy was helpless on the floor after having been punched, kicked, had his head stamped on, been stabbed 7 times and permanently paralysed, and you’re trying to argue that the kick wasn’t powerful and didn’t cause pain?
You’re trying to tell me that he didn’t know they had a knife before he kicked him, despite the other two being covered in blood and the guy on the floor having seven bloody holes in his body?
Jesus wept.
The video, was only viewable in court.
Can’t you get me a copy? You seem pretty close to Mr Penn.
“Everyone’s entitled to an opinion? I’ll let you have yours.”
Jody, this is Phil’s site!
Does it matter that he only kicked him once? What exactly is the pump he was wearing because they aren’t all that soft. In fact we used to play football in pumps at school and I don’t remember anyone getting injured from kicking the ball quite hard. Was it agreed by forensic evidence that this “soft” pump was the one he was wearing when he kicked a bleeding man in his knife wound?
The more Jody describes the third criminal, the less sympathy I have for him. All he got was “don’t do it again” as a sentence. That is pathetic. It’s something you say to a child who’s stolen a sweet, not a violent thug (and alcohol is no excuse). He shouldn’t be at liberty, and he shouldn’t be let off not realising exactly what it is like to be paralysed like his victim whose only apparent crime was to walk down a public street.
well said Frustrated, Jody is this obscene vile creature your boyfriend by any chance?
Penn – like the rest of them should be in one of two states tonight
a) dead
b) in a cage in a laboratory preparing to make themselves useful for some experiment that some innocent animal will now have been spared from.
None of them deserve even the slightest hint of a second chance.
Indeed. On a somewhat lighter note, that was the 4000th approved comment on here!
and a great one by JR!
I think of myself as a fairly liberal person and as a teenager I did cross the line but I was never stupid or evil enough to watch two mates stab some stranger and for a laugh kick him in the stomach so I could feel one of the boys. For fuck a prison sentence Jesus how can you argue against it?
This is an absolute disgrace, further proof of the British injustice system. They scumbags half-killed this innocent young man scarring him for life leaivng him with irrepairable damage he will have to live with for the rest of his life and they get 9 years. Such horrific and vile attacks should get life sentences. 9 years is an insult to Kieran Whitfield and his family. This isn’t wounding with intent, this is attempted murder as far as I am concerned. This is not justice it is a kick in the teeth. Labour; tough on crime, don’t make me laugh. My greatest sympathies go to Kieran and his family. You deserve justice.
Exactly TB, its obscene, if this poor lad had defended himself and given one of these thugs a kicking, he would have been prosecuted,peoople are afraida not just from thugs but from the law as well, labours nanny state law.
Major reform is needed but it wont happen under this scum goverment, thats for sure.
LABOUR OUT 2010 LABOUR NEVER EVER AGAIN!
Precisely Harold, its like I am a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and I know self-defence moves that could seriously injure or even kill an attacker. Moves like disarming a knife or even turning it on the attacker. As far as I am concerned that is self-defence. But if Kieran had done that as you say he would be prosecuted for murder like that shopkeeper in Skelmersdale. Some psychopath jumped him in his car with a knife and the innocent shopkeeper with adrenaline in full whack turned the knife on his attacker which resulted in the assailant dying. The shopkeeper was arrested and charged with murder. That is not justice, that is a kick in the teeth for an innocent, upstanding citizen who showed bravery and courage. The system is a joke.
I used to play 5-a-side with Penn, he seemed an alright lad. Never took him for a scumbag and a coward, which he clearly is! He’s posted pictures of his ankle tag on facebook as if it’s a medal, and others have expressed their relief that he isn’t going to prison. How can anyone be glad that someone who participated in a violent crime isn’t being punished, is free to fucking parade on the internet and do it all over again should he wish?
I’m studying Law at A level, and everything i thought i knew about non-fatal offences has gone out the window. We were told GBH with intent (s.18) carried a life sentence. 9 years is pathetic!
It does carry a life sentence, but not a minimum one!
I know it does, didn’t quite make it clear there
my point was he could and should have been jailed for decades
Yep, can’t disagree with you there.
I might have had some sympathy with the view that he was a good kid that hung around with a bad crowd until you mentioned the ankle tag.
Now its obvious that he is just like them, probably got thrills out of it like they did and would not think twice about hanging round with people like them again.
The crimes as I see it were as follows;
Loitering with intent
Allowing a person to be punched, headbutted, kicked, stamped on and stabbed by friends whilst doing nothing.
Booting the victim whilst he lay on the floor.
Leaving him to die.
Keeping it a secret.
Boasting about the ankle tag on Facebook.
Feel free to make additions!
Link to his facebook please.
being a complete scumbag and affront to decency for which there ought to be only one penalty: trial by blunt knife!
“What corrupts the human condition such that a person is prepared to take a knife, hunt down a target and mutilate, maim or murder them? What causes an innocent baby to transform, years later, into an aggressor with murderous intent?”
answer: A Labour government.
A Labour government you say, Harold. Don’t forget the bleedingheart Liberals though and the Tory tossers that go along with it all….
Spot on Talent, all are part of the same rotten establishment.