Tragic case opens up sentencing debate
Richard Edwards, of Tuckers solicitors in Manchester, represented the juvenile defendant – who cannot be named – in the tragic case relating to the death of Jordan Brennan. Jordan died after a “tussle” in which he banged his head. He walked home after the incident and even refused the notion of medical assistance when he was sick later that evening. He had, however, suffered a fracture of the skull in the incident and bleeding on the brain.
The incident started when Jordan became involved in an argument with a boy who thought Jordan was racially insulting him. Although the boys were caught up in an altercation, no serious harm was intended – and the terrible consequences of the dispute between the boys, far outweighed the level of violence involved.
The defendant was sentenced to an 8 month detention and training order after pleading guilty to manslaughter, although the family of Jordan Brennan have expressed upset that the punishment is unduly lenient in the circumstances.
In what does appear to be a case of two genuinely “nice” boys being involved in a relatively minor incident – albeit one with tragic consequences, it inevitably re-opens the debate about the right sentence in these circumstances. The case has received local and national press coverage, including at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-31990598
http://metro.co.uk/2015/03/22/teenager-jailed-over-gangnam-style-dancing-death-5115459
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/jordan-brennan-teen-jailed-death-5372529