Aug. 1
A gang of children aged as young as 10 stoned a father who died of a heart attack as he played cricket with his son.

Ernest Norton, 67, collapsed after he was struck on the head by a stone the size of a half-brick. Up to seven youths pelted him with rocks and sticks after verbally abusing him and his 17-year-old son.

Five youths, now aged between 12 and 14, appeared at the Old Bailey charged with manslaughter and violent disorder.

Mr Norton and his son, James, had set up stumps in a tennis court in Bexley, southeast London. They were coming to the end of their session when a group of youths gathered by the fence of the courts after being thrown out of the leisure centre for being “mouthy”.

Mr Norton, a retired draughtsman, was told to “Go back to the old people’s home”. One of the mob yelled, “I’m going to knock you out”, while others called James a “rubbish bowler."

As the torrent of abuse continued, Mr Norton approached the youths and was struck by a stone on the left temple, fracturing his cheekbone. He had collapsed after suffering a heart attack and, although his son and an off-duty policeman battled to resuscitate him, he died after being airlifted to hospital. Police found at least 17 stones in the tennis court and said that Mr Norton had been struck on the head by at least two.

Two of the boys spat at Mr Norton during the attack and that their DNA was matched to saliva stains on his jacket.
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What is wrong with people these days? That is just unacceptable!

I don't understand why people don't think of the consequences their actions will have before they do it. Did they really want to kill a guy and so ruin their lives with a manslaughter conviction? They didn't even know him and they weren't even provoked? It is mindless evil.

It's pretty scary.

another example of societies cruelness

And what will happen to them? A slap on the wrist and a shrink curtesy of the tax payers $$$$ I agree it,s evil! and all the courts do is shake a finger at them! It makes me sick!

Hopefully the manslaughter charge will stick...Kids like this should be charged as adults...But with the courts the way they are today, who knows...To take a life and destroy theirs is sickening...

Has anyone noticed the way a large number of parents are raising their kids these days? Alot of kids don't even know that there are consequences to alot of things they do because half the time they're not watched, learning nothing at all .... and when these kids turn into teens, yup, they're mindless alright. These types of stories are starting to become common, but it really doesn't surprise me.

If the little **********************s did that to me... I can't go on for I'd be sure to break the language filter.

The ****** ****** **** ******s.

Now, now. The lads were just out Horrorshowing.

There have been more than usual stories about teens running rampant. Some parents today, feel they are too busy to get involved with what their kids are doing...And summertime can bring out the boredom in kids that have nothiing else to do except make other peoples lives suffer. My teenage grandson was out in California over a long weekend with his friend. They are into skateboarding and hooked up with a bunch of nice guys..My son-in-law made sure he met every one of them...They weren't supposed to be skating in a certain area, and the cops came to take their names. My grandson gave his correct name and Jersey address. Of course the joke around here is that he's probably the only kid from another state who did that...But at least he knew the right thing to do..Teaching morals and ethics to these kids is so important and it pays at the end..

I can't imagine having to watch a loved die like that, right before my eyes. It must have been a horrific experience for his son, especially knowing it was idiot kids that caused it. Regardless of punishment, I hope this incident haunts those little $#!+$ for the rest of their lives.

YOU ARE PATHETIC!

Quite likely, at least some of the perpetrators are proud of what they achieved.

This new breed is ridiculous, dumber than sh&t more callous than an executioner and completely bereft of any feeling for anyone but themselves. I'm so glad the world is progressing and that all the limp wristed child rearing hasn't come back to bite people in the ass. None of these tards is as tough as my 4 year old, what needs to happen is they should gas a couple of these malicious fu&*ers to make an example. Thats the only thing that will work. Without real consequences what else are they supposed to think.

They shouldn't be protected. They should be released after having their names publically announced, and have immunity granted to whoever decides to do something about them...

By Emma Henry and agencies. Link to the article in the Telegraph.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml.../nstones131.xml

I agree that these types of crimes are becoming more common and that is SO scary and makes me wonder what the heck is wrong with this species? I found the statement in quotes to be rather.... choosing words here.... well, what you would expect their lawyer to say but even in print you know the lawyer or spokesperson who said it knew that they were lying through their teeth.

I hope that Ernest Norton and his family can find peace and closure about the circumstances surrounding his death.

I also hope that these kids go away for the maxim that the law allows. I make no apologies for my opinion in that I wish all crimes of murder, premeditated or in this case manslaughter (which I find laughable considering that the kids were turned out of the area earlier for behavior and language) that age should be suspended and ALL cases of murder (excluding self defense) should be tried as an adult and if found guilty given life in prison, end of story. How could a person ague that youth somehow mitigates their actions???? They were children and didn't understand the consequences of their actions. yeah right! Don't buy that one.

Mabon.

So the F7ck-ups were waiting for a big gang fight so instead they beat up on a helplees older man?
flawless, they can't even get that right what a bunch of dweebs. Suuuuure they were gonna fight another gang, yeah right.

Oh, boy, do I agree with that. There is no excuse just because they are young. It really scares me when I read stuff liek this and I have an 8 year old that I am told I am too strict with. Well, she has rules and she knows what sonsequences are. I am trying to prepare her for her teen years and to prevent her being either a perp or a victim. That is what a good parent is supposed to do, not let them run wild and then ask why.

This is disgusting - kids as young as 10 bragging about getting a shot in on a man they killed?

The parents of these kids should get arrested too.

Yes, they should. If parents were really responsible for their children's actions and could be charged for what their children do, I'll bet there would be a whole bunch of children who would be disciplined and learning respect for their fellow man/woman

We wouldn't want to punish them, the liberals want us to sit around and talk it out. Wait till thier TV gets stolen by a "misguided" child and see how understanding they are then.

Too true.

You know I'm not wanting to pick here, but on most things I have very liberal leanings. I don't want persons convicted of a crime, maimed, tortured or anything along those lines, prison if properly ran would be prison. Rehabilitation for those who can be or a last stop for those that can't. I am very much in favor of proactive stances before crimes are committed. A lot of youth crime can be expression of dysfunction of the youth/s family life, even murder and rape can be evidence of this as well. When a child/person thinks of itself as a throwaway they will act like one, however, I would bet a bag of cookies that this isn't the first time these kids have had trouble with authority figures. My guess is that this is the latest/largest example in a string of growing behavior problems.
So yes, where were the parents? Where were the teachers? When these children first started acting out? Why wasn't the problem noticed and corrected long before it resulted in the death of a man who had no involvement with them?
I guess in this my more liberal views are showing? I do think that these 'children' (and I use the term loosely here) should stand as adults for the crime they committed. Especially after bragging about it to each other, that shows such a lack of compassion that is sickening! But the parents and their home lives should be investigated as well. If there was abuse in the homes charges filed against the parent/s or guardians. I understand that you can't always know what your kid is up to but you should have a better clue then what these parents or guardians did, nor does it mitigate their (youths charged) responsibility for their own actions.

Mabon.

Yes, the signs should have been recognized. But, don't forget the loss of pull the teachers have now. They do not get paid enough to be spat on and abused (verbally, and physically). and how many parents are really home when their children come home from school. Maybe there should be more help by the government for parents to have rights in discipline, as well as teachers. And this "young offenders" crap has to be changed. Most of these kids taunt that they will have nothing done to them because they are too young. You are right, we need to put a stop to it before it even begins. It is unfortunate, but is the reality that parents have to work to put a roof over their children's heads and food on the table. Why can't the governing bodies step up and have more childcare or places for the youth to go to and actually be supervised? If the children have more self-respect, then they will respect others more. Even boot camp for the youth who refuse to go to school will not just teach them self respect, but help them feel part of a team. Maybe that is part of it, too. How many come from broken homes and long for that family bond, which they find in a gang like setting? The youth are crying out, maybe we have to listen.

For a start, I think some of these kids watch too much telly and too many "gangster" films. They think they can be just like them and the end result is what has now happened.

They do not have minds of their own, they strut around in flocks and think they rule the bloody world.

Maybe they need to be taught that if they wish to play men's games, they get the men's sentence.

Yes, it is just too bad that it gets to that point. We used to roam around, but we would never think of doing things like they do today. But, then I was raised that if I did something bad, I'd get the strap when I got home, and that kept me in line. I had my mom at home, but living in the country I was allowed freedom to play and run around to my hearts content because I was trusted and it was expected of me to play, not to cause mischief.

Yeah maybe they would actually learn something if they got the strap, it worked for me and my brothers. I used to wish I would get picked up by the cops instead of my dad. He knew what the word punishment meant for sure. I was always more afraid of him. He didn't beat or anything like that, he just made my life very very uncomfortable. And he never made the punishment fit the crime, he went overboard everytime with a promise for worse for repeat offenses. He used to keep a note book, whenever some senior he knew or person with an injury needed hard dirty work done he kept a note of it and told them to wait a week or so. Sure enough one of us would do something stupid and out comes his book, next thing you know your painting some strange person's fence, voila lesson learned tenfold.

And I love how they wander around in gangs acting like tough guys. Of course they can beat anyone up theres twenty of them and one of whoever thier beating up on. Get these turds one on one and they want thier mom.

I've said this before, "teachers spend the most time with children after their parents." A teacher may have anywhere from 25-40 per class and depending on the grade level when class switching starts x 7 class worth of students a day. That is a lot of children to keep up with yet they do. They can recognize the problem students or the students with problems.

The sad fact is a lot of teachers don't/won't report flagging behavior in students for several reasons; either they don't want to rock the boat, they aren't getting backup from the principle, or the parents don't want to be told that their little darling is a or having a problem. Not all teachers are good and some of them just frankly don't feel that they are paid enough to care. But the ones that do and try to make a difference sometimes can but there has to be support all the way around. The teacher has to have back up from the principle in the least and hopefully from the parent/s as well. For example, a couple of years ago my goddaughter was failing subjects (this started halfway through the school term) and starting to have discipline problems, bad grades were given and the parents thought that she was just hitting a rut in school (subject matter becoming more difficult, eh... it happens). Instead of contacting the parents or much to my chagrin the parents contacting the teacher to see what was up with her everyone kept Mum about it. Then about two weeks before school was out they get a note telling them that their daughter is getting ready to fail because of behavior problems and failing not only the subjects that she was having difficulty with midway through the year but now she was failing all of them. OK, the year before she was a straight A student. How does this happen? A parent teacher's meeting was called and the parents asked the obvious question- "If she was having behavior problems and you saw that her grades were going down fast, why didn't you call us? Why wait until two weeks before the end of the year and tell us this now when it's too late to do anything about it?" The teacher had no valid response but did some kind of duck and dodge routine. Yet by the same turn a friend of mine who is a teacher had called parents of a student whose grades and behavior suddenly changed and not for the better was told that it was no big deal and not to bother them unless it was important. When that child's behavior became so bad that detention didn't work and suspension was the next course of action, the child was dropped off by the parents at the school during the suspension and basically told them "what are you going to do about it? I've got to go to work and you (teachers) work for me." The principle instead of calling law enforcement or children's services tucked tail and let the student back in class. This behavior is normal not abnormal. People need to grow backbones in my opinion and do what they need to do. By letting the teacher off the hook for not recognizing that my goddaughter had troubles in class she went undiagnosed with ADD for a year (it also could have been that she needed glasses which sometimes causes the similar behavior) the principle for letting the student back on school grounds it let this kid know that he could get away with misbehavior and there was nothing that anyone who should have been in charge was willing to correct it or enforce policy/law.

Yes it's almost gotten to the point at least in the US where both parents have to work to make ends meet and a lot of single family homes are becoming standard. There should be more after school programs for working parent/s to take help provide a safe/stable environment for children. But what if the parent/s have to work at night. They have to hire a baby sitter or have a family member be with their child/children then. So even though the introduction of programs like those won't help out in every case. But the introduction of more youth oriented centers would help a lot. Like what Alice Cooper is doing in Arizona. Got to love Alice. http://www.azcentral.com/ent/celeb/articles/0731cooper.html

I am so down with the boot camp idea, I've been saying that for years. Take these little want to be thugs and send them to boot camp, with a real Drill Sergent or TI. Mwahhahaahahahahah! And I'm not talking about the weekend boot camp junk that you see on Jerry Springer or that ilk, but real boot camp. Both genders too!
I agree and have said before that a lot of children get involved with gangs or gang like clicks want a bond that they aren't getting at home. A gang is a surrogate family.




Now I'm not a fan of the 'strap' but I do see it's place at some points in time. The problem is that it is a system that can be and is more often abused than used correctly, that's why I'm glad that corporal punishment is no longer allowed in school, to many cases of abuse. Yet I do like your Dad's ingenious way of paying off your debts. LOL! Perhaps a similar type system could be integrated into a youth boot camp! Food for thought anyway.

I applaud any parent/s guardian/s who care enough to discipline (correct with kindness incorrect behavior) their child/children because it means that they truly love them.
Too bad that it wasn't done for the youths in this case. Think of how many lives would be different if someone somewhere had given a fig about something other then themselves.
Mabon.

I actually had a problem with bullying in my daughter's school this year, and tried and tried to do something about it. My daughter comes home from school crying that she doesn't want to go back, she made herself sick to her stomach...it was a crock! I told them if there were problems with her, I wanted them to be straight with me and I would straighten it out at home, but there were two little girls who were always mean to her (and the principal knew about it, he did nothing) and I had a talk to the councilor numerous times about it. Nothing was done, other than them making friendship bracelets together. I told my daughter to stay away from them, and then my daughter gets told she HAS to play with them. My daughter finally told one of them that she didn't want to play with her because she was mean, and my daughter got hauled into the office where the councilor told her "your mom thinks poor my daughter's name but I don't think so. That was so far uncalled for. The councilor was mad at me for making a stink over the bullying. There is no way that she should ever have called me down to my daughter, totally unacceptable. My daughter was missing school a lot and one day I was sick with the flu. I couldn't even get up to make breakfast because I had my head in t eh toilet all morning. My body ached, it was horrible. The teacher called to see why my daughter wasn't at school, and when I told her, she told me to have my daughter walk all by herself down a busy road to school. I freaked and said in no uncertain terms was I gong to be as irresponsible to do that. They sent someone to pick her up and insinuated that I was a horrible mom for them to come and get her and me not send her to school that day, which she was also a carrier for what ailment I had. Maybe if they would have done their hob, she wouldn't have missed so many days of school due to bullying. My ex finally went into the school when he was in town and made sure he had a meeting with the principal, who admitted that he had had a lot of problems with these kids... but yet he did nothing. My sister had been after me for a while to switch schools, especially since a co-worker had taken all three of her children out of that school on account of bullying. AND I found out later that my daughter's best friend had been bullied, too and nothing was done about it. So, yes, some schools have broken down and do not do the best for the children, but she had been in another school where the teacher's were awesome and took steps to stop the bullying. What I don't get is how the children can be like that? How are the home environments? And the schools are not doing them any favors by letting them bully the others especially when things like this murder happen.


Ok, that is my rant. BUT, I still think that SOME teachers are overwhelmed by these children and have no one to back them up, they do what they can and sometimes that isn't enough, but what can they do?

Wow! Glorybebe, I am sorry that your daughter and you had to go through that!
Too bad you didn't know at the time that other children were being bullied perhaps if all the parents (of the students being bullied) had known and gotten together you could have gone en masse to the principle, perhaps that would have gotten the principles attention. If not a trip to the school board or local newspaper also works. (but then I'm kind of a rabble rouser that way LOL!) Heck even if I hadn't known other children were being bullied I still might have gone to the school board or the news paper. At least you can file it away if unfortunately something similar happens in the future or to someone you know.
I also would have filed a complaint against the guidance counselor too for good measure. What kind of a guidance counselor talks dirt about a parent??? Other than a poor one that shouldn't have the position.
I can't imagine a teacher asking that a child walk by themselves to school????? Heck where I live if you have a long driveway or one that you can't see the road from the home children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult to wait for the bus or be present when the child gets off of the bus. Sounds to me like they were just trying to get you to do that so that they could report you! I wouldn't put it past people to CYA in that type of sneaky underhanded way. And it's difficult to find time to get there to school when you work or what ever but I guarantee that parents who show up to Parent/Teacher meetings and contact the teacher are sometimes the most feared when the teacher is lazy, apathetic, or a godsend to those that are trying to do a good job with the students.

I have a cousin that works for the school board office, my sister in law is a teacher as well as a friend who is a teacher. Thankfully all of them are the good and caring type but I've learned a lot listening to their stories and of the experiences that I myself had in school.

Regards,
Mabon.

Well, I'm switching her schools and writing a letter to the school board. I am a rabble rouser, too, that is why they weren't really trying to do their job. But, when my ex walked in, the principal made time for him. ( I had tried to talk to the principal about it numerous times, but he passed me off to the teacher.) My ex told him that the councilor was not a good councilor and did not know her job. She was a wimp who just wanted all the kids to get along so that she did not have to deal with any conflicts. That flu I had? I was so sick that my daughter asked me if she should call 911...and I was supposed to take her to school? Just bizarre circumstances. BUT, if the parents would have been talking to their children and doing their job, this wouldn't have fallen into this incompetent councilor's lap. I tell my daughter that if I find out she has been bullying or is sent to the principal's office, she is going to be in BIG trouble, I make sure she knows what is acceptable behaviour.

The way kids are "brought up" or rather NOT brought up today is what is causing all this!

I say - if you have part in another person losing their life, you should lose yours too. Bring back public executions, and send it on PPV. The money made could then be used for something like the victims families or something.

Also, for anybody sexually assaulting/molesting another person - chop their bits off and let them live a whole life in frustration.

Line them up and shoot them. In the stomach.