A young woman who repeatedly stabbed her mother as she slept has walked free from court after a judge accepted she believed she was acting on the instructions of evil spirits.Frankly, given the mother has the same beliefs, and therefore supported the daughter through the court case, I’m happy that she takes her chances.
Just don’t expect the court system to do anything but laugh if she’s successful in killing you next time she gets it into her head that her ancestors are directing a bit of retribution from beyond the grave...
Passing sentence on Monday, Mr Justice Keith said he accepted the defendant had strong beliefs in witchcraft and thought she was possessed by the spirit of her dead grandmother at the time of the attack in May 2009.But would you leave your child with her, Judge? Would you trust her to care for your elderly mother? Would you like her to clerk for you?
He told Leeds Crown Court: ‘She believed spirits can enter the body and make you do things that otherwise you would not have done.
He praised Mbulawa as ‘unusually confident and assured, also not unintelligent with a degree of charm and poise’.
If not, why should we? It’s not as if this court case has taught her anything, is it?
The court heard a psychiatrist who assessed Mbulawa said she was still a risk because she believed the spirits could possess her again and she has no control over them.Lovely!
10 comments:
"I was only acting on orders"
"I was told to do it by spirits"
"I believe in protecting the environment so my actions were fully justified"
Please choose your next defence/excuse from the options here. Thank you.
Just deport her. And sack the Judge, who summing up sounded more like an appraisal of a contestant on Miss World than a condemnation of a attempted murder.
It's entirely possible that her beliefs are genuine, since such beliefs are widespread and deeply held in the area she hails from. Just as possible that it's a very clever defence manoeuvre.
That said, perhaps the judge could have referred back to the judicial opinion provided by Sir Charles Napier - 'You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours...'
Certainly it at least seems prudent to transport her and her mother to somewhere where their beliefs enjoy some currency. Other than Leeds of course...
Sorry your honour, the spirit of Murray Rothbard told me not to pay my taxes....
Agree with Chuckles. In fact we could have saved the country the expense of a trial, by arranging for her to be tried somewhere where their beliefs enjoy some currency. Ah, no, sorry, my mistake. It would be against her human rights to send her to a country less gullible than ours.
" ..she believed she was acting on the instructions of evil spirits" ...
I know just what she means .. I've done some regrettable things & have woken up next to some real dragons, whilst inhabited by an evil spirit ..
In my case & by way of mitigation the evil spirit responsible is called "Pusser's Rum" ... ;)
Very common belief among Africans, even university educated ones. We must either accept these beliefs and their consequences or begin a humane programme of deportation.
She believed spirits can enter the body and make you do things that otherwise you would not have done.
Same thing happened to me on a pub crawl last Friday. Evil spirits and wicked beer.....
"...sounded more like an appraisal of a contestant on Miss World than a condemnation of a attempted murder."
That was a really creepy statement. He only missed out on how 'fragrant' she was...
"It's entirely possible that her beliefs are genuine..."
Maybe, but they shouldn't be a defence to attempted murder.
"Sorry your honour, the spirit of Murray Rothbard told me not to pay my taxes...."
:D
"It would be against her human rights to send her to a country less gullible than ours."
Spot on!
"Very common belief among Africans, even university educated ones. "
Really? *boggle*
"Same thing happened to me on a pub crawl last Friday. Evil spirits and wicked beer....."
Lol!
Does this mean Mr Sutcliffe now has a valid defence?
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