Insanity Plea Bull####

[Jesterarts]

Mad, not bad - lawyer's plea for man who threw his daughter off West Gate Bridge

Just read that article and all i can say is it boils my blood to hear the case the defence are putting forward.

I don't understand how a persons state of mind can influence the verdict on the result of their actions.

And what the chop does this mean:

defence lawyer David Brustman, SC, said his client was so mentally impaired at the time of the incident that he was incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong.

"at the time "?!?

What kind of bull#### defence is that? It's based on something that cannot be proved as there is no way of measuring his mental state "at the time".

And does that mean that people can get away with anything if they are menally impaired at the time they commit a crime?

Isn't anyone who murders someone, let alot a child, by default clearly mentally impaired? Therefore the act they performed becomes their defence?

The justic system should be based on if it can be proved someone committed the crime or not and the results of that crime.

Not ####ing, oh yes wveryone knows he murdered here, so 25 to life in prison! Oh wait, he was having a bad day, he should get of with a lighter sentence and should be rehabilitabled so he can rejoin society.

#### that #### for a joke.

The dog killed his own daughter to get back at his wife, there is not planet on which a man who can do that will ever be in a state to rejoin society.

[50LTRv8]

My thaught is that if he is that mentally impared he should be relieved of his insanity permanently.

[tonza]

It seems that this is the way people try to get off a charge or something. Plead insanity, or temporary insanity or something.
As for this dog HE should be thrown off a bridge tied to a few concrete blocks, its only fair

[ucwepn]

He may end up in fairfield mental hospital which I think is the highest security unit for mentally ill criminals in VIC not a pleasant place, I think they should throw him off the bridge. I think its highly unfair to claim to be mentally ill if you are not, I know some mentally ill people and what they go through in their daily lives is hell and a relapse is always a possibility especially since mental health funding has been cut so heavily and the mind is still such a mystery, the reality is that there are no asylums anymore except for the criminally insane (there are inpatient locked units at some hospitals but they are always full) and the patients are free to be in society until their next relapse where they could do something horrendous before getting admitted for treatment and then released again. It is a possibility he was actually mentally ill and lack of treatment has caused this to happen but theres also an equal chance he's a murdering F*** who knew what he was doing.

Such a terrible and sad story everytime I see it I feel quite sick, I hope they do something terrible to him wherever he ends up.

[ascottaudio]

I have thought for a long time that "insanity" or other mental "impairments" were a strange way to try and degrade the severity of a case or to in some way justify an action.

To my mind ANYONE that does things like "murder" is obviously "not normal" so it makes no sense to me..(nor would it to Spock)..to ask the question "were they mentally impaired at the time"...OF COURSE THEY WERE...unless you believe we can all slip in and out of being "mental"...

And even then.. who can say when "they" will slip back into "pyhco land"

It not so bad if the person is sentenced accordingly..as being sentenced as a "loony" is often worse than a normal sentence..but knowing the way things work here..it would mean an easier run through the legal system and few years in a "loony bin" then home.. to to it again..

[UFO]

'temporary' insanity.

i wonder if that would work with the mrs?
"sorry love, I cheated on you because I was temporaryily insane... please forgive me".

i wonder what the answer would be. it's this type of commonsense that's missing from our court system. you are either insane, or not insane.
throwing your daughter off a bridge to 'hurt' the ex in a custody battle isnt insane... it's murder.

god I hope all these judges burn in hell for letting criminals off.

[dirt drifter]

god I hope all these judges burn in hell for letting criminals off.

yep, and i hope the lawyers are frying on the barbie plate right next to them!

seriously u would have to be one cold, cold hearted bastard to stand up in court and try to the best of your ability to get the lightest/no sentance for a maggot like that

[Kunu]

What a tragic story, isnt it amazing that even though they say he was so mentally impaired but yet he had time to call his ex earlier on also had the pre-medetation behind his crime by asking his daughter to climb into the front seat of the car and grab her as in my thoughts if she stayed in the back and a struggle ensuid that passer byers would react..well who knows nowadays with society, also that the knew what he had done was wrong by driving to the law courts and getting security to take his 2 sons..
This man deserves the full brunt of the law for murder but even that hardly gets u much nowadays...after experiencing mental illness first hand with my partner at the time (now ex) and hitting rock bottom myself its your kids that really focus you and get you back on track and gain strength from them to see through the crap times....to me it sounds more of the all to typical get back at the ex case which unfortunately led to the tragic loss of such a beautifull little girl with so much to live for.

[bogan_vk]

that #### should be thrown off the bridge or be slowly tortured to death makes me sick what he did to a defenceless child im not a violent person but id happily pay out on him big time, mentally ill my arse he did it to get back at his missus.

[elmaso]

well you have to be ####ed in the head to throw a kid off a bridge, lets throw that doopy #### off a bridge!

[ClairBear]

I think they should throw him off the bridge. .

Such a sad story. This animal doesn't deserve to live. I can't help but think of the terror that little girl felt when the person she trusted and loved, the person who is supposed to shelter her, feed her, be there for her, protect her....... picked her up and threw her off that bridge.

How could one defend him as a Lawyer seriously? How does that Lawyer live with himself knowing he is trying to get the best out of this for his client? Personally I get so moved by these types of crimes that I feel that any Lawyer who defends such a callous act is just as bad as the person who committed it.

[CSP]

I don't understand how a persons state of mind can influence the verdict on the result of their actions.

Then you don't understand psychology. Not many people do. However it is entirely possible for someone to lose all faculty and have that lead to stupid, irrational and in this case, tragic events. So while a criminal act may take place, it may not be through consious thought.

The typical bogan approach to calling the guy a "maggot" or "animal" or any profanity only emphasises the need for much better education about mental illness.

I'm not defending anyone here or advocating the way our judical system works. I am just pointing out the very serious lack of any sort of readily accesible treatment for mental illness. Not only that, but any sort of method for identifying mental illness.

So while what happened should never have happened, it cannot be said with any sort of certainty that there was any concious awareness or ill-intent. And while unimaginably tragic, I also strongly advocate treatment and acces to care/monitoring of the mentally ill.

There is always a side that will try and use the mental illness as a defence despite not actually being mentally ill, and those sort of sociopaths can usually been seen straight through. Mental health assesment is so extremely important in cases like this one. And if there is a legitimate illness then THAT'S what the cause was, not the "person" who commited it but their illness.

Disagree with me if you like, however disagreeing in this case only means you lack kthe understanding of the issues I'm discussing as they relate to this case.

[Kunu]

How could one defend him as a Lawyer seriously? How does that Lawyer live with himself knowing he is trying to get the best out of this for his client? Personally I get so moved by these types of crimes that I feel that any Lawyer who defends such a callous act is just as bad as the person who committed it.

couldnt agree more sash, no wonder they call these wanks vultures.Who in there right mind would step up and try to defend these kinds of people...i guess money is the root of all even!!

[ClairBear]

Then you don't understand psychology.

I work with mentaly ill people. It's an insult to them to have many people try and use their illnesses as a defensive to try and wriggle out of what they did.

The typical bogan approach to calling the guy a "maggot" or "animal" or any profanity only emphasises the need for much better education about mental illness.

Oh I understand mental ilness very well. I am far from a bogan and feel justified in calling this man an animal. He is gutless and pathetic and I doubt anymore mentally ill than you or I. He is a man who was upset by his marriage breakdown and desperate to lash back at his wife. He cared not for his child and just tossed her off the bridge after telling his ex-wife she wouldn't see her daughter again. That's premediation.

Using mental illness is a common defense by Lawyers, generally found to be baseless as the trials moves on and Professionals debunk the allegations.

[Jesterarts]

I agree 100% with Sashyre. Nothing more that I could add to it really.

[CSP]

I agree 100% with Sashyre. Nothing more that I could add to it really.

As do I.

My comments regarding the treatment of people with mental illness were based around LEGITIMATE mental illness, not the sociopathic excuse of mental illness. And if this is a case of someone who didn't have a legitimate mental illness but is using it as an excuse for a pre-meditated crime, then he should be hung from the same bridge by his balls while while acid is used to slowly eat through his skin until he falls to his death into a sectioned off part of the water below where piranahs are waiting for lunch.

But I can't really comment on it as I don't know all the facts of the case.

[VN_Luke]

"I feel pretty..."

[VjamesY]

Mentally ill or not, he deserves an injection. No kid (let alone anyone) deserves such a horrible death.

[88GreenVN]

What he did was an insane thing to do..... Dont make it right tho.

He'll get life for sure.

[Drawnnite]

its amazing how people can get off (or try to get off) sentences.
insanity, alcohol affected.. whatever

if you cant control yourself in a manner which is safe to others then you shouldnt be doing anything.
this guy should have his nuts chopped off so he cannot have more kids which he could do this too.
never be allowed 100kms from any child or young persons facility (eg a school)

as for "killing people" with lethal injection or whatever, make them rot in a 6x4 ft cell for the rest of their life on bread, and water. nothing else. no tv, no nothing.
and life should be life, not just 24yrs or whatever it is nowadays.

[Astranomical]

He needs to either be locked up and tortured for as long as he lives, or set on fire. Anything else is too good. Mentally ill or not - you can't convince me he wasn't aware of what he was doing at the time.

[ClairBear]

its amazing how people can get off (or try to get off) sentences.
insanity, alcohol affected.. whatever

What I find hard to comprehend is the need for a trial in this instance. If there is a murder or crime and an investigation is launched, then a suspect arrested and charged, you can see the need for a trial where evidence is presented to determine guilt.

In this case though he did it. He was seen doing it and I believe has admitted doing it. So why waste public money on a trial? Just lock him up with no special treatment like being kept away from other Prisoners, let them deal with him as they see fit.

[Verynice]

Post 2 sums it up, rep given.

[Bravotwozero]

R.I.P. Darcey Freeman



May you burn in hell you rotten ####!!



I'm a bogan, that is all.

[Bravotwozero]

Then you don't understand psychology. Not many people do. However it is entirely possible for someone to lose all faculty and have that lead to stupid, irrational and in this case, tragic events. So while a criminal act may take place, it may not be through consious thought.

The typical bogan approach to calling the guy a "maggot" or "animal" or any profanity only emphasises the need for much better education about mental illness.

I'm not defending anyone here or advocating the way our judical system works. I am just pointing out the very serious lack of any sort of readily accesible treatment for mental illness. Not only that, but any sort of method for identifying mental illness.

So while what happened should never have happened, it cannot be said with any sort of certainty that there was any concious awareness or ill-intent. And while unimaginably tragic, I also strongly advocate treatment and acces to care/monitoring of the mentally ill.

There is always a side that will try and use the mental illness as a defence despite not actually being mentally ill, and those sort of sociopaths can usually been seen straight through. Mental health assesment is so extremely important in cases like this one. And if there is a legitimate illness then THAT'S what the cause was, not the "person" who commited it but their illness.

Disagree with me if you like, however disagreeing in this case only means you lack kthe understanding of the issues I'm discussing as they relate to this case.

So you have studied Psychology have you?