THE three thugs who killed Warrington murder victim Garry Newlove were given £500,000 in legal aid.
Adam Swellings, 20, who was sentenced to 17 years, qualified for £133,032 legal aid for his trial and a further £6,187 for his unsuccessful appeal.
Stephen Sorton, 18, who received 15 years, received £167,561 for his trial and £2,624 for his appeal which led to his sentence being reduced by two years.
Jordan Cunliffe, 16, who received 12 years did not appeal but his trial is understood to have cost £200,000 in legal aid.
The figures have been revealed under Freedom of Information legislation.
They have shocked and angered Mr Newlove’s widow, Helen, (pictured) who only recently was named as Cheshire Woman of the Year for her campaigning work to crack down on anti-social behaviour.
She said: “The system is wrong. It beggars belief.
“When they get out of prison they should be made to pay something back and if they can’t, their parents should.”
Mrs Newlove said the system was loaded in favour of people who had done wrong. But for the victims it was completely different.
“We have had to re-house and have had to summon up the energy to seek out agencies to help us.
“It is sickening what myself and my daughters have to go through every day with flashbacks.
“And it makes it worse to think they will be helped again when it comes to parole.”
Mrs Newlove and her daughters set up the Newlove Warrington Foundation to campaign for tougher laws to combat crime and anti-social behaviour.
Her 47-year-old husband Garry was attacked and beaten by the three thugs outside his home at Warrington in 2007.
Killers given £500,000 legal aid
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
3 Comments
Never ceases to amaze me how murdering scum like these three need so much money spending on them to defend them. Does it really cost £200,000 to defend a 16 year old on a murder charge or are these lawyers milking the legal aid system in the same way our MPs are milking the expenses system?
Should have hung the three of them….. no more cost after that
It is hard to decide who is the bigger crinminal, the one who busts heads, or the members of the legal profession who bleed their clients and the system dry with inflated charges. They think that eight years of training entitiles them to rob and pillage with impunity. I think we should bypass the lawyers and let the cops take the buttholes staight to jail, but then I’m not a liberal.
The Legal system is off the wall. This should never been allowed. You can’t always blame the parents but they should share in the cost and responsibility.