GUILTY UK - Jayden Parkinson, 17, Oxfordshire, 3 Dec 2013

[Ellmau]

It seems to have restarted. Lots of unpleasant stuff here:

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/court-told-jayden-parkinson-buried-7387195

 

[Cherwell]

The jury have visited the place where Blakeley says Jayden fell from the bridge.

"Members of the jury - accompanied by judge Patrick Eccles and prosecution and defence - walked for an hour through fields to the wooden footbridge where Blakeley told the court he put his hands around 17-year-old Jayden's neck."

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/to...ayden_and_Ben_Blakeley_when_she_died/?ref=mac

It's just a low footbridge across a ditch or stream.

 

[sar2them1984]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28234557

 

[Cherwell]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28234557

"The jury members were shown a disused railway that runs from Didcot towards Upton, and were told the couple went to the spot to smoke drugs and to discuss whether Jayden was pregnant."

So they did go along the railway line. That little bridge must be out in the fields though. Funny place to go on a chilly dark December evening.

 

[sar2them1984]

It is a strange place to go on a December evening, conveniently secluded too..

Someone needs to get their facts right though. First they went there to have sex and then it was to smoke and chat. Which is it? Not that in the grand scheme of things it makes any difference bit if you are trying to save yourself at least use common sense, pick one story and stick with it!

 

[zwiebel]

Yesterday, the defence, prosecution, judge and jury walked for an hour through fields to view the wooden bridge where Blakeley says he put his hands around Jayden's neck.

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/ja...Jayden_and_Ben_Blakeley_when_she_died/?ref=lp

'Blakeley told Oxford Crown Court yesterday he relives the night he killed Jayden Parkinson every day and in his dreams.

But he said he was not a “real killer” and didn’t even understand what the word callous meant, something the prosecutor accused him of being.'

He also told the court he wasn't smart, he's met 'real killers' and he's not like them, there was less chance of Jayden being found where he first put her, than when he moved her to his uncle's grave, and he'd only gripped her neck the same way he'd done to other girls (who lived).

He also said the bruises on her face must have been caused when he moved her body. (The pathologist has already testified the bruises were caused when Jayden was alive).

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/11...h_in_my_dreams___Blakeley_tells_court/?ref=la

 

[zwiebel]

'A post-mortem examination found Jayden died as a result of pressure to the neck.

There was also evidence of “relatively widespread” areas of bruising to her face and scalp, which was indicative of being caused by a fist or foot.'

'He said he never kicked Jayden in the head or stamped on her.'

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/court-told-jayden-parkinson-buried-7387195

 

[zwiebel]

Picture of the bridge that Jayden supposedly fell backwards off. That rail definitely looks too high to fall from without being pushed or lifted, in my opinion.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-28234557

 

[Cherwell]

Cross-examination of Blakeley completed. He's been as charming as usual.

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/11..._cucumber__as_he_tried_to_hide_Jayden_s_body/

He is on trial alongside a 17 year old who denies preventing a lawful burial but admits perverting the course of justice.

I wonder why the other lad didn't just plead guilty to both charges.

Oh wait - seems that "preventing a lawful burial" can get you a life sentence! whereas the other charge gets you 3 years max.

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/...ncorporating_the_charging_standard/index.html

 

[Cherwell]

A fuller report from earlier.

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/to..._in_my_dreams___Blakeley_tells_court/?ref=mac

 

[zwiebel]

Blakeley has announced he deserves the death penalty. But he must know the UK doesn't have it, and has pleaded not guilty to murdering Jayden. He says he can't be a killer either, because the killing replays 'like a video' in his head, 'unreal' and he keeps remembering more details - like the noises she made. He's just a mass of contradictions and, frankly, nonsense.

I also sincerely believe he is lying on the stand to protect the unnamed youth charged with him. He insisted again and again that although the youth helped dig both graves and was standing right beside Jayden's body/body in suitcase, the youth did not see her and believed the graves were being dug to hide weapons.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...led-17-year-old-girlfriend-told-pregnant.html

 

[Cherwell]

The other lad insists he didn't "put two and two together". He must be pitifully dim if he thinks the jury will buy that. I could just about go with the first burial, that it was to hide something illegal out in the countryside, but what on earth did he think was the purpose of digging up his uncle's grave in the dark? Come on!

I daresay he was coerced and threatened into helping, and he did blow the whistle so he will get some credit for that, but realistically he would have done better IMO to plead guilty to both charges.

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/11..._he_didn_t_put__two_and_two_together_/?ref=mr

 

[Cherwell]

Teenager tells court he was afraid of defendant.

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/11...ells_court_he_was_afraid_of_defendant/?ref=mr

Cross examined by prosecutor Richard Latham QC the teenager said he didn’t ask the 22-year-old Blakeley what they were doing because he was afraid of him.
He said: “I never asked questions of Ben, because it would have just ended up bad for me. That’s just how it was with him and me.”

That I can believe.

 

[zwiebel]

'The youth has also pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice but denies a charge of preventing a lawful burial.

Giving evidence for the first time, the youth told jurors that he did not have anything to do with Jayden’s death.

Martin Steen, representing the youth, asked him whether he would have helped Blakeley if he had known he had killed Jayden.

The youth replied: “No.” '

I don't believe him, frankly. But I guess we'll see.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/jayden-parkinsons-killer-offered-teenager-3841473#ixzz37HWRAHwT

 

[Ellmau]

The judge has said the co-accused can now be named. As we had supposed, it is BB's brother (Jake):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28300083

 

[Cherwell]

Closing speeches today from prosecution and defence.

Mr Latham singled out the bruises to the 17-year-old's face, head and arms as proof that she had suffered a "beating" before she died. He told the jury: "You can't trust a word this man says.
"He's still lying to this day about how she came by those injuries you have seen in the post mortem."

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/11...and_resorting_to_violence__court_told/?ref=mr


Defence barrister says Ben Blakeley did not mean to kill Jayden. (Well, he has to, it's all he's got.)

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/to...Blakeley_did_not_mean_to_kill_Jayden/?ref=mac


And as has been fairly obvious all along, the other defendant is confirmed to be his younger brother Jake.

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/11...s_co_defendant_is_his_younger_brother/?ref=mr

 

[Ellmau]

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/11...and_resorting_to_violence__court_told/?ref=mr


Defence barrister says Ben Blakeley did not mean to kill Jayden. (Well, he has to, it's all he's got.)[/url]

I can't imagine a jury falling for that.

 

[sar2them1984]

Hey Cherwell you beat me to todays news round up.

Quick question as its been a long day and I have fuzzy brain but if JB is turning 18 at the end of the month and is found guilty will he be sentenced as an adult or, because the crime was committed when he was a minor will he be sentenced as such?

 

[Cherwell]

Hey Cherwell you beat me to todays news round up.

Yea, I drove through Upton on my way home, so that put it into my mind

Quick question as its been a long day and I have fuzzy brain but if JB is turning 18 at the end of the month and is found guilty will he be sentenced as an adult or, because the crime was committed when he was a minor will he be sentenced as such?

I don't know the answer, but I doubt it will make any difference. He has pleaded guilty to the PCJ charge, and of course he did come clean about the whole business early on. Otherwise they might have been looking for poor Jayden a lot longer. So he will get some credit for that. And if the judge believes that he was acting under duress he might get away comparatively lightly.

 

[Ellmau]

I think he'd be sentenced as a minor but have to serve any non-suspended sentence in a YOI for age 18-21.

The relevant date for determining eligibility for sentences is generally the date of the finding of guilt.... However, where a defendant crosses a relevant age threshold between the date of the offence and the date of conviction, the starting point is the likely sentence that would have been passed had the youth been sentenced on the day that the offence was committed. .... This may result in a maximum sentence for an offence that is not a "grave crime" of 2 years custody (equivalent to the maximum period of 24 months for a Detention and Training Order... or a non custodial sentence if the youth is ineligible for a Detention and Training Order... The starting point may be departed from where there is good reason to do so.

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/v_to_z/youth_offenders/index.html

From the CPS guidelines for prosecuting and sentencing Young Offenders - lots of other interesting info there.