No Justice in Tooting

The killers of Ekram Haque; Leon Elcock and Hamza Lyzai and their victim in hospital

I wrote on the 27th July last about the widespread disbelief and anger in the UK about the message given to society by the sentences passed on three London teenagers who attacked a man leaving a mosque with his three year old daughter. It was called a “happy slapping” attack and resulted in the death of the pensioner who was attacked “for fun.” Local MP Sadiq Khan has described the sentences as “truly shocking”, a sentiment which is widely felt.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2010/07/justice-gap-in-tooting.html

I pointed out at the time that all of our lives have been devalued by this lenient sentencing which says you can cause somebody’s death for “fun”, record and leer at the scene on your mobile phone and get away with murder with only minor inconvenience in your own life. These shocking sentences which do not address the need for retribution and rehabilitation cannot be allowed to stand. Unfortunately despite strident campaigning by many and representations by local Labour MP Sadiq Khan to the Attorney General who has the power to refer unduly lenient sentences to the Court of Appeal the Attorney General has refused to intervene. I attach the report from Sadiq Khan’s website and the correspondence to / from the Attorney so you can make up your own mind. I can’t believe the story will end at this.


Ekram Haque and his grand-daughter Marian

Sadiq Khan MP’s website;

http://sadiqkhan.co.uk/

"Attorney General refuses to refer sentences of Ekram Haque killers to Court of Appeal

Saturday, 21 August 2010 10:45

The Attorney General, the Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP, has refused to refer the sentencing of Leon Elcock and Hamza Lyzai, responsible for death of Tooting resident Ekram Haque, to the Court of Appeal. Tooting MP Sadiq Khan wrote to the Attorney General on 28th July 2010, asking him to review the sentencing, which Mr Khan believed to be unduly lenient.

Tooting MP, Sadiq Khan, said, "I am thoroughly disappointed that the new Attorney General has not used his powers to refer these lenient sentences to the Court of Appeal. "This failure compounds the impression that the public have, which is that the authorities are out of touch. The Crown Prosecution Service for entering a plea bargain, the Judge for the lenient sentence and the Attorney General for failing to refer this to the Court of Appeal.


"This attack was not 'happy slapping', but a cowardly attack. The decision of the Attorney General will further undermine confidence in the criminal justice system."
Sadiq wrote to the Attorney General on 28th July asking him to refer the sentencing to the Court of Appeal, as he believed the sentences were unduly lenient."


Sadiq Khan MP

You can read Sadiq’s letter here;




Dominic Grieve QC MP - In touch with the voters of Tooting?

The Attorney General's response can be read here.