The Law is not your friend

Convicted murderer, Stephen Wilson, 38, of County Antrim, was granted compassionate leave last Monday to visit the grave of his mother, reports The Times. He did a runner during an "accompanied walk". He was finally caught yesterday.

This is not the first time he has been granted leave from prison despite serving a life sentence for a murder in 1987. In 2001 he again escaped from leave granted to attend his mother's funeral. So violent is this man that the four arresting police officers needed hospital treatment.

Everyone deserves a chance but why on earth was this violent skinhead released again?

The Times also reports on the case of multiple murderer, Stuart Horgan, who shot dead his wife, her sister, Emma, and leaving her mother for dead.

Emma's life could have been saved.

However, when police arrived at the scene, they refused to enter the house, fearing the gunman may still be there, despite neighbours repeatedly telling them that he had long since fled. Paramedics also refused to enter and Emma bled to death.

Finally, the story of Aimee Wellock is all too typical. A young girl of 15 randomly kicked and punched to death by bullies. Three girls were convicted not of her murder, but of manslaughter. Even this laughably lenient sentence was overturned on appeal as the victim had a previously undiagnosed heart condition. The murderers all got off scot free.

Aimee's father makes a tragic but very real point - "the law is on the side of the perpetrator rather than the victim."

Just because justice is no longer delivered by the Courts does not lessen people's desire for it. The next step lies in vigilantism and anarchy.