UK: Yobs (age 10-13) who stoned [67 y.o.] pensioner [to death][found] guilty

Ise.co.uk ^ | Friday, 31st August 2007 | staff writer

[yankeedame]

Yobs who stoned pensioner guilty

Friday, 31st August 2007, 14:46

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A gang of hoodies, aged between 10 and 13, who stoned a pensioner triggering a fatal heart attack, were today (Fri) found guilty of causing his death.

The tracksuit wearing yobs threw stones and lumps of wood at 67-year old Ernest Norton, who was playing cricket with his son James, hitting the pensioner on the head.

The five boys were part of a larger gang of 15 yobs who began abusing Mr Norton and his son at a tennis court in Erith, south east London.

When the engineering draftsman told them to ticked them off, the five responded by hurling stones at him in a "random and pointless attack," spat at him while some tried to clamber over the high fence to get into the court

One rocks the size of a cricket ball struck Mr Norton on the head, causing him to collapse and suffer a heart attack. He never regained consciousness.

Mr Norton had undergone a triple heart by-pass 30 years ago but the stress and trauma of the attack made him vulnerable.

When Mr Norton collapsed, the group ran off boasting to each other that they had got him.

After deliberating for three days an Old Bailey jury of six men and six women found the five, now aged 12, 13 and three aged 14, who cannot be named for legal reasons, guilty of manslaughter and violent disorder on February 26 last year.

As the verdicts were read out, the five and their parents, broke down and sobbed.

During the 20-day trial lawyers and Judge Warwick McKinnon were unrobed and without wigs because of the ages of the five.

However Judge McKinnon had to order that the children be accompanied at all times during the trial as they had been seen horseplaying around the court building, two had hung out of windows, and staff feared they might get up to more mischief.

Indeed as they awaited for the jury to return with their verdicts they were seen play wrestling outside court.

In the hours leading up to the attack the youths, part of a gang called The New Estate, vandalised a disused factory.

Armed with sticks and baseball bats they headed for a pre-arranged fight with rivals Younger Raving Loonies from an Erith housing estate.

But a neighbour fearing cars would be damaged went to tell the youths off and was forced to disarm one youth who brandished a baseball bat and threatened 'Do you want it?' while others became abusive.

The gang were then thrown out of Erith Leisure Centre for messing about before accosting Mr Norton and his son, then 17.

Prosecutor David Fisher QC said father and son played cricket while Mr Norton's wife Linda was in the gym.

He said: "As they did so a group of about 10 and 15 youths gathered by the fencing surrounding the tennis courts and they began shouting abuse at Ernest Norton and his son.

"These five were part of a larger group. As the abuse worsened the group began throwing stones and pieces of wood at father and son.

"Ernest Norton was struck at least twice on the head by these missiles, one of the stones hit him on the left side of his face causing a fracture to his cheekbone.

"He collapsed and suffered a heart attack. He received medical treatment at the scene but was pronounced dead later that afternoon.

"The group of youths ran away following the collapse of Ernest Norton. This was a completely unnecessary, pointless and random attack on Ernest Norton by these five defendants."

The five are due to be sentenced on October 19 after reports from the youth offending team.

[yankeedame]

Ernest Norton

Mr Norton was practising cricket with
his son in the tennis courts

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'Stoning' death boys cause havoc at Old BaileyBack to Communities

source: http://www.24dash.com/communities/26950.htm

A judge ordered the parents of five boys accused of manslaughter to keep them under control after their unruly behaviour caused havoc at the Old Bailey.

The youngsters were caught causing "mischief" in the court while they were being tried for killing 67-year-old Ernest Norton, it can be reported today.

Judge Warwick McKinnon was forced to apply new bail conditions in the middle of the trial after their antics were reported to him...

He told the court: "It has been brought to my attention that the defendants are wandering around unaccompanied and conducting themselves in such a way that staff members are worried...."

Two of them had been seen hanging out of windows, he said...

He ordered that they should be accompanied by an appropriate adult or solicitor while in the precincts of the court.

The trial has been held under special conditions to take into account the unusually young age of the defendants.

Neither barristers nor the judge wore formal court gowns or wigs and breaks in evidence have been much more frequent than usual to help the youngsters cope.

Each one of them has been accompanied to court every day by a parent to sit in the dock alongside them.

But it was not enough to stop one of the defendants, a 14-year-old boy, from ...dozing off during the trial.

The court has heard that the boys belonged to a gang, with its own website called "TNE" or "The New Estate"...

On the day of Mr Norton's death the five defendants had gone along, armed with a baseball bat, to confront another group, but were chased off by a passer-by...who took the bat from them, the trial heard.

Earlier that day they had been amusing themselves by smashing windows at a disused factory and being "mouthy" to staff at Erith leisure centre, jurors heard.

But Nicholas Valios QC, defending the youngest boy, who was just ten at the time...He claimed the boys were not a "gang of anti-social youths", as he said the prosecution had sought to portray them.

"Every day one has read something about gangs of people killing innocent others, people kicked or knifed to death or shot dead by youths who have been terrorising estates. That really isn't this case," Mr Valios said.

[pgyanke]

As the verdicts were read out, the five and their parents, broke down and sobbed.

So apparently, they were there...

However Judge McKinnon had to order that the children be accompanied at all times during the trial as they had been seen horseplaying around the court building, two had hung out of windows, and staff feared they might get up to more mischief.

Indeed as they awaited for the jury to return with their verdicts they were seen play wrestling outside court.

Some parents...

[ClearCase_guy]

"Every day one has read something about gangs of people killing innocent others, people kicked or knifed to death or shot dead by youths who have been terrorising estates. That really isn't this case," Mr Valios said.

No, no. This is clearly different. It's not like those cases in at all!

It says in the article that rocks were used in the assault, so you can see the difference straightaway ...

[stevio]

What exactly does “yob” stand for?

[Abathar]

A couple of hundred years ago their favorite play things would have been hanging on the tower doors as the new knockers...

[Joann37]

Bad enough the killed him, but then they STILL continued with their abhorrent behavior even as they were awaiting the verdict. Unbelievable.

Let’s try to remember to check back on Oct. 19 (when they’ll be sentenced). They deserve life for brutally killing this man and terrorizing their community.

[az_gila]

“with rivals Younger Raving Loonies from an Erith housing estate”

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Ahh.... Screaming Lord Sutch’s legacy, I see....

[massgopguy]

It was a Warner Bros cartoon where an expecting father had a dream in the waiting room that his baby was switch and taken by Aliens. He screams out the window at the saucer “bring back my Yob”. When he wakes, his son has a bracelet on that reads “yob”, boy backwards. That’s All Folks

[Joann37]

Per Wikipedia: Yobbo (also Yob), slang term for an uncouth blue collar individual or thug

(I didn’t know either!)

[Kimmers]

The kids and the parents deserved to be stoned....eye for an eye kind of thing....

[stevio]

Are you series?

[ClearCase_guy]

"boy" backwards is, I believe, correct. But it also is sometimes seen as "youth of Britain".

[massgopguy]

About Warner Bros cartoons or the article?

[1066AD]

Just “boy” spelt backwards...

[Red Badger]

During the 20-day trial lawyers and Judge Warwick McKinnon were unrobed and without wigs because of the ages of the five.

gasp!!!!.................OH............

[mylife]

“Its a fair cop” but society is to blame. We’ll be charging them too.

[onedoug]

They’ll get a year of “therepy”.

[Maceman]

Young Obnoxious Bastards

[HamiltonJay]

guilty of manslaughter

I don't know British law, but throwing stones at guys head is not MANSLAUGHTER... in the US its at least 3rd degree murder... wanton disregard for human life.

[britemp]

‘I don’t know British law, but throwing stones at guys head is not MANSLAUGHTER... in the US its at least 3rd degree murder... wanton disregard for human life.’

English law states that a charge of manslaughter be brought when a death is caused, but the premeditated intent to murder cannot be proved.

Sentencing will not be affected - I strongly suspect they will all be detained at her Majestys pleasure - an open ended sentence that usually gives a minimum of 10-15 years but often results in them never being released.