Aunt of Zara Aleena expresses ‘anger’ over killer’s life sentence reduction
Aunt of Zara Aleena calls for change after murderer has sentence reduced.BBC Breakfast
Transcript
00:00 Our entire family is disappointed, Sarah's friends, our community disappointed, upset.
00:06 Even though the ruling appears to align with an established legal sentencing framework,
00:14 there are questions that arise for us. In the main, why is a sentencing judge who is highly
00:22 experienced and held in high esteem, who was involved in the case for nearly six months,
00:27 overruled by review judges who were clearly unfamiliar with the finer details,
00:33 and presented with a defence counsel who had time to prepare a defence over a period of 10 months?
00:40 Yesterday, the aggravating factors that were identified by the sentencing judge
00:46 had been discounted because of lack of solid evidence. But I'm not sure how three judges
00:55 who lack medical knowledge could discount that Zara didn't suffer. And when they talked about
01:03 this man looking for a sexual encounter, we're told that he was looking for a sexual encounter
01:11 that's ludicrous. He was looking for a sadistic, an opportunity for a sadistic expression.
01:19 And it is that that they've now excluded, that there wasn't a sadistic intent. And for that,
01:27 they've taken off five years. Now he has 10 years taken off his minimum sentence. This is a man who
01:35 didn't show for his sentencing, who didn't show for previous legal proceedings, who spat in the
01:43 face of the law, gets the law to stand up for him, and he's able to exercise his right. Surely,
01:53 somebody who has such a disdain for law should not be given that right of appeal.
02:00 We need to change this law. I am extremely angry.