Friday, March 06, 2009

Student Culture

Friday 13 February 2009

Is it any wonder no-one can live among them.


Friday 6 March 2009


STUDENT SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS’ DETENTION FOR MANSLAUGHTER


Summary of Judgment


Mr Justice Hart, sitting today in Belfast Crown Court, imposed a sentence of two years’ detention on Ciaran Laverty, aged 19, for the manslaughter of Aaron Montgomery outside the Skye nightclub in Belfast on 15 February 2008.


Aaron Montgomery (aged 23) was standing outside the nightclub with his brother and his friend. A large number of people were leaving the bar at this time and there was some congestion in and around the doorway. Ciaran Laverty was head-butted and was mistakenly told by his friend that it was Aaron Montgomery who had attacked him. Mr Laverty then punched Aaron Montgomery on the side of the head or neck and he fell to the ground. The court heard that such a blow can cause very rapid death.


Mr Laverty remained at the scene and was arrested by police. He expressed remorse and regret for has actions immediately and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. Mr Laverty had no previous convictions. The court heard a number of testimonies about his previously excellent character - at the time of the attack he was a first year student at Queen’s University. He told the court that in the course of the evening he had drunk ten bottles of beer, two pints of beer and a cocktail.


Mr Justice Hart was provided with victim impact statements from Aaron Montgomery’s parents, brother and sister and other relatives. He said that they “eloquently and movingly expressed the acute loss and deprivation each has suffered as a result of Aaron’s sudden and unnecessary death”.


The judge accepted that Mr Laverty’s conduct that night was out of character. He said that Mr Laverty was “an able and intelligent young man of hitherto excellent character”:


Sadly the reason for his behaviour is all too familiar with cheap alcohol readily available and large numbers of drunken young people spilling onto the streets when pubs and night clubs close. The events of this night were brought about by the combination of heavy drinking and a mistake on [Ciaran Laverty’s] part as to who had earlier assaulted him”.


Mr Justice Hart noted that a custodial sentence will clearly have a severe effect on Mr Laverty and his future but said that “it has to be remembered that his conduct brought about the death of a young man of blameless character who had done nothing whatever to provoke this unjustified attack which it appears was because of a case of mistaken identity”.


He sentenced Ciaran Laverty to two years’ detention.



NOTES FOR EDITORS


1. The full judgment is available on the Court Service website (www.courtsni.gov.uk).


2. The Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland in the case of R v Ryan Arthur Quinn [2006] NICA 27 held that the proper range of sentence in this type of case on a plea of guilty falls between 2 and 6 years’ imprisonment.


ENDS






16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Live among them?
First of all there is nothing to suggest that ciaran laverty lived anywhere near the holylands.

Also he punched the other person intentionally, but its MANSLAUGHTER.
It was a mistake, a drunken mistake at that.

It is a sad story for both of the people involved
And should not be used by you to promote your bullshit hatred of students.
A person made a mistake, he wasn't looking to kill anybody.

Fuck you, what gives you the right to talk about students as a whole?
Explain to me what is so bad about being a student,
answer me don't just ignore the question again

you were a student, so was the judge in the proceeding, and millions of other good people
not that youre a good person, i think you're a hate spreading idiot, well you would be if anyone listened to your shite

belfast samizdat said...

Congratulations on finally writing proper sentences.

Extreme drunken violence is nothing new to the Holyland. Alcohol is no excuse. I've been drunk many times. I've never killed anyone, or tried to for that matter.

"Fuck you, what gives you the right to talk about students as a whole?"

I've had to live among them. They drove my community from their homes or into an early grave. Feel free to make excuses for that. As Suzanne Breen puts it,

"If paramilitaries had done this there would be outrage"

Feel free to object to that.

Oh and well done. Go to the top of the class. Proper sentences; there's hope for you yet. :)

Anonymous said...

why do you talk about spelling?
it has nothing to do with anything

Anonymous said...

This guy did not live in the Holylands. Its been publicly stated that he lived in West Belfast. Why bring the Holylands into this when it has nothing to do with this area?

belfast samizdat said...

The title of the article is "Student culture". What do you think happens in the Holyland?

Do you think only people from West Belfast are into drunken violence?

Do you think residents, those that remain, aren't living in fear?

What do you think happens to those who complain?

What do you think happened in Agincourt Avenue the night of the Spotlight expose?

Where has the community gone?

Do you think they wanted to leave?

They were driven from their homes by your precious "students".

When a gang can stop a woman on a dark night and tell her to,
"Sell your house and get the fuck out of the Holyland. This is our area now.",
are we not to call this driving people from their homes?

Spare me your moral indignation. If hell is other people, being an intellectual imprisoned in the Holyland is a circle all of its own.

Anonymous said...

This is a tragic case...we've [most of us at some point] all punched someone be it in horseplay or as part of a brawl.

The only difference is in this case unfortunately a young man died and another went to prison.

Using the story to highlight the issue of antisocial behaviour is a bit of a cheap shot [no pun intended].

Anyway...let's ask Alan if he's ever punched anyone [or headbutted] either in self defence or in a fight?.....people in glass houses and all that

I would hope that we all keep that tragic incident in mind next time we've had a few and the "dukes" come out.

belfast samizdat said...

"are students not worthy of being part of your precious 'community?'"

Your "students" destroyed my community. Don't pretend they're not proud of it. And don't pretend it's a "small minority" who think and act that way. Residents are not wanted; end of. I note that the cancer has spread to Stranmillis so there's another community you can drive from their homes.


"I would hope that we all keep that tragic incident in mind next time we've had a few and the "dukes" come out."

Don't blame alcohol. Take responsibility for your actions.

Anonymous said...

I take full responsibility for my actions Alan, I'm not the one with a court of law asking me to account for my actions lol!

Anonymous said...

I didn't destroy anything you dick

and wheres your evidence that most students think this way?
its not like you ever talk to students
you know that you'll just be proved wrong
AGAIN

no-ones blaming alcohol, it was an accident no-one could have predicted that he was going to die but you seem to be enjoying this, even though it could just as easily have been someone whos not a student

should i start collecting news reports on anyone else in belfast to prove theyre all bastards?

one incident doesn't prove anything
you have the weakest points
and it has nothing to do with the holylands
and you use this story for your own agenda which you know you shouldn't

you are a smug little shite who sits far away and passes comment from a safe distance

you can't talk to students, you're too afraid to have someone responding to your shit

belfast samizdat said...

"I take full responsibility for my actions Alan, I'm not the one with a court of law asking me to account for my actions lol!"

I'm not on trial and I will not be drawn on a matter that is sub judice.

Nice try though. See you in court. ;)

Anonymous said...

So a student with no connection to the Holyland is somehow connected to the Holyland??

belfast samizdat said...

"So a student with no connection to the Holyland is somehow connected to the Holyland??"

Look at the title of the article. It's about "student" culture.

"this is insensitive and digusting, frankly"

It's life. Deal with it.

Anonymous said...

Its life....you exploiting this story? What have you gained from this? No one agrees with you
Just admit that you should not have mentioned this

belfast samizdat said...

"Just admit that you should not have mentioned this"

Would you rather no-one talk about student culture?

Would you rather Amnesty had not done their rape survey?

Would you rather the horrors of the Holyland were kept under the radar?

I'm afraid you'll have to live with the disappointment.

I look forward to your next temper tantrum :-)

belfast samizdat said...

Congratulations on your anger management progress. It's nice to see you writing proper sentences too.

I don't think all students are bastards, but it's hard to deny that there is a student culture characterised by alcohol fueled physical and sexual violence. It's also hard to deny that females are seen as legitimate targets for these people (no apologies for the generalisation). What Amnesty showed is it is not strangers, but their male peers that female students should fear. What amazes me about the survey is that so many were prepared to tell the truth rather than the socially appropriate answer. The real figures must be higher.

What sympathy do the "silent majority" of students have for residents? The truth is that no "silent majority" exists. It is no "tiny minority" that torment residents and abuse education. At least I'm prepared to say it rather than live a "socially acceptable" lie. And some people just can't stand that.

Anonymous said...

i'd guess you never got laid at university alan