Calls for Barry Smith murder to be recognised as race hate crime

From the Travellers' Times

ON June 15 three people, two men and one woman were found guilty of the murder of an English Gypsy, Barry Smith, in Kilburn, near Derby, in October last year. Vincent Aitken, 44, must serve a minimum of 22 years and 118 days; Nathan Doherty was sentenced to a minimum of 18 years 118 days and Emma Aitken, 19, will serve a minimum of 12 years. The body of 48-year-old Mr Smith was discovered outside Kilburn Welfare Social Club, Chapel Street, on the morning of October 6, last year by local dog walkers. He had been beaten to death using pool cues and a fence post and his body had been set alight. Police investigating the crime described it as a particularly horrific crime scene.

The sentences were not enhanced for race hate as the judge, Justice Charles Haddon-Cave QC decided that the crime was not racially motivated. Haddon-Cave is well known as an aviation, marine and travel law expert, but has no background in hate crime. The family believe that there was a race hate element that was not recognised by the trial judge and are devastated by the light sentences – which they point out would have been far higher if the race hate element had been recognised.

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