Happy Slapping

A 15-year-old schoolgirl faces a custodial sentence after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting, counselling and procuring unlawful killing by recording a 'happy slapping' incident on a mobile phone. A legal landmark as it is probably the first successful prosecution of someone who was complicit by aiding and abetting in the brutal attack that led to manslaughter. The victim (Gavin Waterhouse) died. The killers were Mark Masters and an unnamed (for legal reasons) 17-year-old. A man died as a result of a brutal attack (possibly for nothing more that entertainment purposes) and one of the convicted killers cannot be named because of a legal technicality. The sentence involves 'life' imprisonment. Mr Waterhouse died of a ruptured spleen, so immediate death did not happen. A charge of murder is not appropriate since an intent to kill could not be proved. A ruptured spleen can only be the result of an extremely violent kick. A youth would not be likely to have the skill to inflict such damage through a punch. A boot would also be necessary as a cowardly bare-footed kick could not cause such damage either. This would require considerable technical ability.


Mark Masters or his accomplice certainly would not have that. Abilities of a low-life are zero by definition. But:

It's a start

Consequences © 2005

Some at the bottom of being a low-life actually imagine that kicking and punching just for fun, will not have consequences. This almost beggars belief in it's stupidity. And anyone trying to blame drink or drugs would just aid and abet as they would be implicit in attempting to justify a technically unprovable murder, but not complicit in the act itself. Criminal lawyer Grahame Stowe:

"More than ever before young people are turning to extreme violence, in some cases for no reason other than entertainment. This case illustrates once again the gross callousness some teenagers are capable of."

He added that it was a bold move to prosecute someone:

"who, in a literal sense, does not have blood on his or her hands"

And:

"The principle that videoing a criminal offence taking place can be considered aided and abetting could have some serious ramifications."

This constitutes distorted voyeurism

and the sexual connotation is obvious...

but it's a start

A problem is that those most likely to perpetrate such crimes are also unlikely to understand what 'ramifications' implies. Or even means. They are by definition: too stupid. Even understanding the meaning of a term like 'serious' is doubtful. Communication can only work in a positive sense by communicating to anything other than low-life. The downside is that ideas are forwarded to those who have absolutely none of their own. Communicating such information can appear glamorous to an idiot. Such ramifications could involve removing this element from society.

A BIGGER problem would be what you do with such a problem. Society has so degenerated that this will be considered normal behaviour and a twisted mentality will see this as the 'badge of honour'. It will get 'respect'. Another distorted and highly twisted concept. The perceived acquisition of respect through fear and violence is essentially an oxymoron. A paradoxical combination of concepts.

A next step would be for the newspapers to show some common sense and stop this 'happy slapping' description. It's killing. It's brutal and it's completely crude and unglamorous. And it's definitely NOT entertaining except to the sick low-life that infests the streets. Social outcasts and definitely cowards who would never even dare to act alone. Gangs hunt in groups for protection. Each member is usually not capable of acting alone.

Either physically or intellectually.