THE Manchester Evening News is today demanding justice for Frank Buckley and his family.
The 47-year-old father-of-two died in Salford's Hope Hospital in March after he was viciously kicked in front of his wife on a night out.
Yesterday seven men were sentenced to a range of paltry prison terms totalling a mere 21-and-a-half years for their involvement in the brutal attack that led to Mr Buckley's death. The individual punishments ranged from five years to 18 months.
Such leniency has provoked outrage - now the Manchester Evening News is writing to the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, urging him to review the punishment and make sure justice is done.
The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Michael Todd, is also calling for the sentences to be reconsidered and the Crown Prosecution Service is now considering appealing to Lord Goldsmith about the prison terms.
Justice campaigners and licensees have also joined the call for a rethink.
In a letter to the Attorney General, the M.E.N. writes: "We wish to express the sense of outrage felt across Greater Manchester at the lenient sentences handed down to the killers of family man Frank Buckley and their five accomplices. We do not believe justice has been served in this case and respectfully ask you to refer it to the Court of Appeal to allow a more appropriate punishment to be considered."
Chief Constable Todd said: "My immediate reaction is surprise at this sentence for a horrendous crime which robbed a family of a husband and father, and shocked the community.
"I would hope that the Crown Prosecution Service will look at this case to see if it is possible to appeal."
Review
A spokesman for Manchester CPS said that a separate appeal to the Attorney General was being considered by its own team of prosecutors, which worked on Mr Buckley's case. She said that previous appeals in similar cases would be reviewed before a decision was made.
An appeal has to be lodged with Lord Goldsmith 28 days after the sentence and he will only consider it worthy of review if he considers it "unduly lenient".
Depending on the Attorney General's decision the case can then be referred to the Court of Appeal. As reported in later editions of yesterday's M.E.N, the trial judge Mr Justice Poole sentenced Christopher Zammit, 21 from Pendlebury and Daniel Anderson, 18, of Clifton, to five years in jail after they pleaded guilty to manslaughter and violent disorder.
Brian Horrocks, 38, and James Backhouse, 32, both from Swinton, were jailed for three-and-a-half-years for violent disorder. Gareth Brook, 21, Paul Filer, 38, and Lee Williams, 26, all from Swinton, were jailed for 18 months for violent disorder.
The maximum sentence for manslaughter is life imprisonment, while it is five years for violent disorder.
Mr Buckley and his family had celebrated his father-in-law's 65th birthday with a meal at Puccini's restaurant in Swinton and had then gone for a nightcap at Yates's Wine Lodge next door.
Trouble started when a handbag belonging to Mr Buckley's wife, Christina, was moved from her table in the pub as she was dancing, and it erupted into a major disturbance.
Diplomatic
Police were called and her family was asked to leave. But the jury was told that later, when police had left, between eight and 12 men emerged looking for her husband Frank, who was then savagely attacked.
During the assault Mrs Buckley looked up and saw her husband being kicked in the face and head by two men.
She chased after Zammit and told him: "Your face will never leave my head."
Mr Buckley's younger son Craig, 19, told the M.E.N. last night: "The family supports the newspaper's initiative to challenge these sentences and we will do everything we can to assist. We feel outrage and great disappointment. Every member of the family is heartbroken.
"What has happened is difficult to take in but we will take a breath collectively, for if we are to take on the Home Office we will need to be diplomatic."
Phil Burke, spokesman for Manchester's Pub and Club Network, said: "We need the support of the courts to deal with thugs like these. These sentences were totally unacceptable. We fully support the M.E.N. in its efforts."
And Norman Brennan, from the Victims of Crime Trust, described the sentences as "derisory".
What do you think of the sentences? Have your say.
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The whole sentancing system is a complete joke anyway. The judicial system needs a complete overhaul and not by namby pamby do gooders. Why is it that a person can deliberatly kick someone in the head so hard that he dies only gets 5 years in prison, for which he will serve two years? The whole system is farcical.
This case should be treated as murder and all involved should be given life sentences...they will be out in three years...where's the justice for Mr Buckley's family? And who's to say they won't do it again once they're out of prison?
All I can say is these thugs are complete and utter scum and it puts me off having kids because lets face it this world isn't a very nice place to bring a new life into.
Just watch the news in the future. The bank robbers who yesterday took B#20-30m will get 4 times as long as these animals. Their crime was admittedly cruel to the family of the bank worker, but will be seen by the establishment as a much more heinous crime. You can safely bet the courts will throw the full force of the law at them.
This as been the worst time of our lives would this sentence been given if it was the judge or Tony Blair that was killed that night NO!!!!! what makes them better than our Frank NOTHING but they would have got JUSTICE. It.s time this country got LAW, ORDER, AND,JUSTICE BACK. OR THE HONEST PEOPLE ARE DOOMED.
Please help the M.E.N. in their demands for JUSTICE not just for Frank but for all VICTIMS. LET,S FIGHT BACK THE GOOD PEOPLE OF MANCHESTER AND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
I would just like to say that your coverage of this whole trial has been wholely one sided. Why is it that you have turned this group of lads into minless thugs. I Know these people personally and have to say that they are GOOD lads. Why have the public not been told of how Frank Buckleys family acted that night and how Mr Justice Poole has branded them 'A DISGRACE'. I must add that the sentences handed to the seven people are justified and i will be there to welcome them upon their release.
My whole family are 'gobsmacked' by the leniency expressed upon these low life scum. They would have had stiffer sentences for tax evasion or fraud, but to kill a decent upstanding citizen in such brutal fashion is beyond belief. These scum should be made to pay the ultimate price and rot in a hell hole. As for the family of these people, cheering such a ridiculous sentence, they should, if they had an ounce of decency in them, be in awe of the dignity shown by the rest of Mr. Buckley's family. Justice must be seen to be done!!!!!!!!!
How can anyone say these are GOOD lads!!!! r u sick in the head?!?! What they did to this poor man and his family is beyond beleif and they deserve to be locked away for a lot longer. Who cares how Mr Buckelys family acted that night? Did he really deserve to be beaten to death!!!! Some people in tyhis world make me sick!!! my thoughts are with the family NOT the animals that did this to them. Lets hope we get justice x
As a family we are devastated beyond belief not only for losing Frank, but about the injustice of these sentences for these men who have lied and cheated throughout these past 9 months. We feel these sentences are inadequate for the devastation they have caused to my sister and our family. I would like to ask everybody to join our campaign to jail these thugs! Thank you!
Thank you MEN for supporting the dcent honest people of Manchester, these sentences are an insult, not only to the Buckley family, all good people. The prestwich security guard freed yesterday after appeal was sentened to 14 years for an alleged part in a robbery, are we to believe the courts value money higher than Frank Buckley life? It would appear so. Please give your support to this campaign, it could be your family next time. and believe me there will be a next time.
IN RESPONCE TO COWARD A.N.OTHER SWINTON GOOD LADS ONLY 18 AND 20 WITH A STRING OF CONVICTIONS TO THERE NAME VERY GOOD LADS WHO ARE YOU A.N.OTHER DOORMAN IF THE M.E.N. WAS ONE SIDED ASK YOURSELF WHY HALF OF SWINTON IS SCARED OF THIS SCUM
10 to 15 years would be more appropriate, it's about time Salford, Swinton & Manchester was rid of scum who think they run the pubs clubs and streets.
I have lived in Salford for most of my life and recognise at least one of the persons, he was scum then and obviously hasn't changed it's a pity it has to come to this
We were attacked inside the pub and outside just because we were strangers on there territory I WAS THIER what people in there right mind with age ranges from 40 to 70. would start a fight with huge doormen 18 to 30 age when we have never been involved in anything like this in our lives.
How does the justice system deem the crime of taking somebody's life lower than that of robbing the 'state' of money. What these so caled 'good lads' was disgraceful. 5 years given, of which probably only 3 will be served in contrast to a life taken and the horrific effect to immediate family, it seems to be that our 'justice system' is somewhat misguided and blinkered in deeming what is important and correct. I wholly back the MEN's campaign in demanding the right action be taken and a precedent be set for future.
How anyone can even that ro defend this bunch of scum as A.N.Other tried to do is beyond me. According to the MEN, when the judge passed the sentance, he said "a member of Frank Buckleys pary repeatedly kickd the door". What difference should that make? it was also said that these thugs never inteded to cause grevious bodily harm. When they go and kick someone in the head, as they did, what are they intedning to do, if not cause grevious bodily harm. By cheering as they did, they have shown that they are not bothered by what they have done.The only soloution is to lock them away for good and make the worlda better and safer place.
This is disgraceful. Justice has not been done here. Those thugs aren't bothered about 3 years in prison. The oly was as far as i can see to make salford a better place is to remove thugs like this from society completly. To take scum like this to a remote island and let them rot.
TO A.N.OTHER WHICH OF THEESE GOOD LADS DO YOU KNOW THE ONE,S THAT KICKED AND STAMPED ON FRANK,S HEAD THE ONE THAT KNOCKED OUT A LADY OF 72 OR THE ONE THAT FRACTURED A WOMAN.S CHEECK BONE BIT HER AND STAMPED ON HER BACK SO HARD HE LEFT THE IMPRINT OF HIS BOOT ON HER OR MAYBE IT WAS THE ONE WHO KICKED A GIRL SO HARD IN HER STOMACH SHE HAD INTERNAL BLEEDING NOT TO MENTION WHAT HAPPENED TO OTHER PEOPLE SO WHICH GOOD LADS DO YOU KNOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is an absolute disgrace. I honestly can't find the words to describe how angry I am at the judge that imposed these sentences. Would the judge have imposed the same sentence if it was a member of his family that had been killed? This country is in a state where we need ASBO's because we are weak on crime. These criminals should no doubt have already been in jail and thus unable to commit such a horrendous crime. The "slaps on the wrist" they have previously received have obviously done no good. It's time we got tough. Any other country would lock this scum up and throw away the key. Not us though, oh no, we let them out to do it again and again. Not only will the same ordeal happen to another family in three years time there is no deterrent for other, similarly-minded thugs; so, unfortunately, this type of crime will continue! I fully support the MEN campaign to get these ludicrous sentences extended. My thoughts are with the family at this difficult (more difficult now!!) and sad time. Oh, and A.N.OTHER, I hope a member of your family is killed so brutally one day. We'll see if you call their killers GOOD lads, then?!
The judge said: "The court has to remember a man has died. But the court has to remember you have not been convicted of murder and that you lacked any intention to cause grievous bodily harm."
If repeatedly kicking and stamping on a man's head is not an intention to cause GBH then what the hell is?
These sentences are an utter disgrace and are indicative of the gradual decay of law and order in this country. Lets not forget this man was brutally atttacked along with his family in a way that defies belief in the nature of its savagery. When "good behaviour" is taken in to account these men will be on the streets in the next 9 months onwards.
What does it now take to get justice in this country? No wonder so many people are emigrating. Is there one politician out there who is willing to stand up and be counted before things get any worse?
It's time this country introduced much harsher minimum sentences for these crimes. 5 years is a sentence for theft. These people should get a minimum of 20 years, nothing less. Let's start a campaign like the "Get Back On Track" campaign to make our voices heard! It is only from public pressure that the Government will take action to tackle crime. If these are "good lads" A.N.OTHER, I'd hate to know the company you keep! You can't have very high (if any) standards, can you?
I completely agree Steve and Gary - this country is lawless and it is a key factor in high immigration. The decent, law-abiding people in this country don't want to live here anymore. It has nothing to do with the weather (as many suggest) it is all because the place is a shambles, and the justice system tops the pile. Nobody in Government is prepared to stand up and get really tough on criminals. Instead, we get ASBO's! Until a Government gets really, really tough, we will always suffer from these crimes!
What a dreadful country we all live in. Tougher sentences should extend right across the system from 10 year olds who throw debris onto train tracks in an attempt to derail trains to hardened thugs like these. The issues of right and wrong are timeless and ageless and everyone in society should have a basic understanding of them.
THE PERSON WHO SAID THESE WERE GOOD GUYS IS
OBVIOUSLY A FRIEND, MAYBE
HE SHOULD LIE ON THE GROUND AND TAKE THE SAME
INTENTIONAL BEATING.
SOME PEOPLE SHOULD NOT
BE ALLOWED TO WALK FREE
IN SOCIETY AND THESE ARE EXAMPLES.
ONE OF THEM WAS ALREADY
CONVICTED OF CARRYING A KNIFE. (WHAT A REAL HARD
MAN ! )
THEY WANT TO BE HARD, ?
WHY DONT WE TEST THEM
WITH VERY HARD SENTENCES
WELL DONE M.E,N. KEEP IT
GOING
MY SYMPATHY TO THE FAMILY