I have missed something here is this not murder?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/10294317.stm

Murder is when you mean to kill someone.

Is there any other reason why they would give a baby methadone molgrips?

Murder is when you mean to kill someone.

Correct. And that you cannot plead manslaughter – the court has to decide if, having killed someone without the mes rea (intention) to commit murder, it falls into one of the manslaughter categories.

Is there any other reason why they would give a baby methadone molgrips?

Quite possibly. Perhaps they thought it might stop its crying, or help it sleep. Just because they did something most people can't comprehend and that had an appalling outcome, doesn't mean they intended to kill.

An unpleasant and sad story, nonetheless.

Twice in one day eh?

I'd microwave them personally.

Super Scale 20 – Member
Is there any other reason why they would give a baby methadone molgrips?

unfortunately, yes. Stupid people. Probably used it to stop the baby crying, worked ok once so they kept doing it.

Some people are pretty stupid. Some pretty stupid people have children. Some people have drug habits. Some people prescribe methadone to stupid people with children. IQ based sterilization is the answer. Oh and the legalisation of illicit drugs – heroin (sans impurities) wouldn't have killed the child.

Is there any other reason why they would give a baby methadone molgrips?

If you've ever had to try and comfort an inconsolable baby, you'd realise that you frequently find yourself wishing for a sedative of some kind. Some thick parents clearly didn't realise how dangerous Methadone was and killed their own baby.

Not sure how prison would help in this case to be honest.

ourmaninthenorth – Member

Murder is when you mean to kill someone.

Correct. And that you cannot plead manslaughter

The Mens Rea required for murder is an intention:

to kill, or
to cause grievous bodily harm.

It is a crime of specific intent.

You can plead to Manslaughter if that's what your charged with.

You can plead to Manslaughter if that's what your charged with.

Fair point. Was oversimplifying.

Sorry, actually after posting that I thought I was being a pedant tw*t. 😮

deluded don't be sorry you saved me from being a pedantic tw*t.

Why do people despair of a justice system that tries to sensitively deal with some of the most heartbreaking facets of human experience without resorting to a knee jerk desire to inflict vengeance and pain to appease the tabloid readers.

oh yes and you missed highclimbers thread

An unpleasant and sad story, nonetheless.

That's a bit of an understatement akin to saying Hitler was a naughty boy !

These people are nothing but f%*"!ng scum. I am sick to death of people who do these horrendous things being let off or having a very mild slap on the wrist.

I am still spitting tacks that a guy who virtually blinded someone I know with a bottle/glass (1/5th vision is best possible outcome) has been found not guilty by pleading 'self defence'. My mate was apparently helping up/sheilding his wife who had been knocked over by others fighting (they were not involved other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time) and had a broken bottle (or glass as the accussed alleges} shoved in his face. Apparently this constitutes self defence. 👿

edit : Link here

heroin (sans impurities) wouldn't have killed the child.

From what little I know (and it is just a little), it doesn't seem like Methodone is much an improvement over prescribing heroin. But surely whether or not the dose would have been fatal depends on the quantity for both heroin and methodone?

Mmm