Disappointment over karate kick manslaughter plea
Posted October 28, 2003 13:09:00 on abc.net.au
The Crime Victims Support Association has complained to the Director of Public Prosecutions for accepting a manslaughter plea over a fatal hotel fight.
A 20-year-old martial arts expert has been sentenced to six years jail over the death.
The Supreme Court heard 18-year-old Aaron Linskens was watching a fight at a Glen Waverley hotel when he was karate kicked in the head and knocked to the ground in June last year.
Ryan Leigh Johns, of Rowville will serve a minimum of three and a half years in jail after pleading guilty to manslaughter.
The prosecution had earlier rejected the plea but accepted it on the fourth day of Johns’s murder trial.
Outside court the Crime Victim Support Association’s Noel McNamara said he was disappointed by the outcome.
“If someone kicks someone in the head and they’re a karate kicker, well as far as I’m concerned that’s murder. The whole thing is out of kilter,” he said.
The victim’s family said it was also disappointed with the manslaughter plea.
This idiot need locking up for a long time, he needs something to make him pay attention to what he has really done, sadly this doesnt appear to be happening . I feel so very sorry for his victims families who are now being intimidated by his low life friends, so do I think he will change??? No and why should he …………. We really need to start having elections every year to appoint decent judges , we pay good money to them every year and every year 99% hand out crap sentences
I always tought if you were a trained boxer or martial arts student you were automatically charged with using a deadly weapon.Seeems nothing is the same any more.
You guys are so right, I have said from day one this dirt bag will murder again.
This scumbag is back in the County Court 12 Feb at the request of the DPP