Friday, April 28, 2006
Some Stories Need No Comment
Mary-Ann ringleaders must spend 27 years in jail
Guardian Unlimited
Six men who tortured, raped and murdered the teenager Mary-Ann Leneghan were today jailed for life with minimum tariffs of between 23 years and 27 years.
The gang's ringleader, Adrian Thomas, as well as Michael Johnson, Jamaile Morally and his brother Joshua were told they must serve at least 27 years for abducting and killing the 16-year-old in Reading in May last year.
The other two gang members, Llewellyn Adams and Indrit Krasniqi, were sentenced to at least 23 years before they can seek parole.
The gang, four of whom were convicted offenders serving community punishment orders, took Mary-Ann and her friend to a hotel, where they raped and tortured them, and repeatedly told them they would die.
Passing sentence at Reading crown court, Mr Justice Penry-Davey dismissed the motive for the attacks, which was revenge for an earlier drugs robbery on Thomas.
The judge said the gang, all from south London, had committed "gratuitous torture", acts of "gross sexual abuse" and a brutal execution.
He added: "Drugs breed violence. Those who deal drugs show a readiness to use weapons including guns.
"Your gang of six was armed from the outset with guns, knives and some form of blunt instrument. You were equipped and prepared for serious violence and you set out and kidnapped as bait those two young women."
The prosecution also asked for Krasniqi, originally from Kosovo, to be deported after he is released.
Mary-Ann's family welcomed the high minimum tariffs.
Outside court, flanked by about 30 members of her family and friends, her uncle Charlie Harris described the sentences as "brilliant".
He said: "We just want to try to rebuild our lives. Now we can go over to the grave, the memorial, and see Mary-Ann and say hello to her. I am just glad justice has been done."
Asked about the fact that four of the six men were under probation supervision at the time of the murder, Mr Harris replied: "Like I said earlier on in the case, they should have all been tagged and they should all have been on a curfew - that's it."
Mary-Ann's mother, Sue, left the court a few moments later, making no comment to the media.
Thomas, 20, Krasniqi, 18, Johnson, 19, Adams, 24, Jamaile Morally, 22, and Joshua Morally, 23, abducted Mary-Ann and her friend from a car park in the centre of Reading and took them to a hotel room.
The court heard that Mary-Ann was taken into the hotel bathroom by five men, raped and sexually humiliated. Her friend was made to strip and perform sexual acts. They were forced to smoke crack cocaine and heroin.
The pair was then taken to Prospect Park, where Mary-Ann was stabbed 40 times. Her friend was shot in the head at close range but survived because the bullet did not pierce her skull.
A jury at Reading crown court last month found all six men guilty of Mary-Ann's murder and the attempted killing of her friend, as well as a string of other charges including kidnap and assault. Some were convicted of rape.
Thomas received a further sentence of 13 years and 13 days for the attempted murder of Mary-Ann's friend, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Thomas, Johnson, Jamaile Morally and Krasniqi were all under supervision when they committed the crimes and the case has raised concerns about the state of the probation service.
During the trial, the court heard that Johnson had been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in 2001 for abducting a 13-year-old boy with learning difficulties and subjecting him to an ordeal in which he was hung upside down and beaten.
Guardian Unlimited
Six men who tortured, raped and murdered the teenager Mary-Ann Leneghan were today jailed for life with minimum tariffs of between 23 years and 27 years.
The gang's ringleader, Adrian Thomas, as well as Michael Johnson, Jamaile Morally and his brother Joshua were told they must serve at least 27 years for abducting and killing the 16-year-old in Reading in May last year.
The other two gang members, Llewellyn Adams and Indrit Krasniqi, were sentenced to at least 23 years before they can seek parole.
The gang, four of whom were convicted offenders serving community punishment orders, took Mary-Ann and her friend to a hotel, where they raped and tortured them, and repeatedly told them they would die.
Passing sentence at Reading crown court, Mr Justice Penry-Davey dismissed the motive for the attacks, which was revenge for an earlier drugs robbery on Thomas.
The judge said the gang, all from south London, had committed "gratuitous torture", acts of "gross sexual abuse" and a brutal execution.
He added: "Drugs breed violence. Those who deal drugs show a readiness to use weapons including guns.
"Your gang of six was armed from the outset with guns, knives and some form of blunt instrument. You were equipped and prepared for serious violence and you set out and kidnapped as bait those two young women."
The prosecution also asked for Krasniqi, originally from Kosovo, to be deported after he is released.
Mary-Ann's family welcomed the high minimum tariffs.
Outside court, flanked by about 30 members of her family and friends, her uncle Charlie Harris described the sentences as "brilliant".
He said: "We just want to try to rebuild our lives. Now we can go over to the grave, the memorial, and see Mary-Ann and say hello to her. I am just glad justice has been done."
Asked about the fact that four of the six men were under probation supervision at the time of the murder, Mr Harris replied: "Like I said earlier on in the case, they should have all been tagged and they should all have been on a curfew - that's it."
Mary-Ann's mother, Sue, left the court a few moments later, making no comment to the media.
Thomas, 20, Krasniqi, 18, Johnson, 19, Adams, 24, Jamaile Morally, 22, and Joshua Morally, 23, abducted Mary-Ann and her friend from a car park in the centre of Reading and took them to a hotel room.
The court heard that Mary-Ann was taken into the hotel bathroom by five men, raped and sexually humiliated. Her friend was made to strip and perform sexual acts. They were forced to smoke crack cocaine and heroin.
The pair was then taken to Prospect Park, where Mary-Ann was stabbed 40 times. Her friend was shot in the head at close range but survived because the bullet did not pierce her skull.
A jury at Reading crown court last month found all six men guilty of Mary-Ann's murder and the attempted killing of her friend, as well as a string of other charges including kidnap and assault. Some were convicted of rape.
Thomas received a further sentence of 13 years and 13 days for the attempted murder of Mary-Ann's friend, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Thomas, Johnson, Jamaile Morally and Krasniqi were all under supervision when they committed the crimes and the case has raised concerns about the state of the probation service.
During the trial, the court heard that Johnson had been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in 2001 for abducting a 13-year-old boy with learning difficulties and subjecting him to an ordeal in which he was hung upside down and beaten.
