Tagged youth jailed for killing

By Chris Summers
BBC News Online, at the Old Bailey

A teenager fitted with an electronic tag to prevent him committing more crimes has been jailed for three years for shooting his girlfriend dead.

The victim's mother immediately criticised the system which meant her daughter's killer would be free in 10 months while she would remain "living dead".

Tanita's mother said she was "only a baby"

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Tanita Ffrench in Stockwell, south London in September 2002.

The Old Bailey heard that Tanita, 19, died after being accidentally shot by her boyfriend, who had brought a loaded gun to her flat after finding it on a nearby housing estate.

The youth had two previous convictions for stealing mobile phones and had been given a curfew order forcing him to stay at home from 9pm-7am.

Struggle

This was backed up with a tagging device, which he had to wear 24 hours a day.

The court heard that at 8pm on 14 September, an hour before the curfew came into effect, the teenager was at his girlfriend's flat.

Miss Ffrench picked up the gun and pointed it at her boyfriend, jokingly saying: "When are you going to take me to the pictures?", the court heard.

Sally Bennett-Jenkins, prosecuting said he tried to grab the gun off her and it went off during the struggle.

No one can make me feel more guilty than I do now

Youth, in a letter to the court

He immediately fled the flat, telling her mother Bevon French: "I've just shot Tin."

Mrs Ffrench told police her daughter struggled out of the bedroom with a wound to her chest.

Fear of suspicion

She said she immediately rang 999, but her daughter was dead on arrival at hospital.

The youth, who was later arrested by armed police, told officers he had disposed of the gun by throwing it over a fence into an adventure playground.

But no trace of it was ever found, despite a fingertip search by officers.

Tagging doesn't work. These people should do some proper time in prison, where they can reflect on what they have done.

Bevon Ffrench, victim's mother

He said he had found the gun a week earlier, but could not hand it in for fear of coming under suspicion. A gun amnesty was not introduced until several months later.

In court a letter was read out in which the youth wrote: "Her mum won't accept my apology and I don't blame her.

"But I am really sorry. It has been hurting me for eight months and I know that hurt will last forever.

"Apart from my family, she was the only person who cared about me. No one can make me feel more guilty than I do now."

Outside the court Mrs Ffrench paid tribute to her "wonderful daughter" and said that since the killing: "I feel like the living dead."

She broke down in tears as she read out a Mother's Day card which her daughter had given her.

She said the judge had added insult to injury with his sentence.

'Not good enough'

The youth had earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter and an alternative charge of murder was dropped.

The judge called the killing "a tragic accident".

Mrs Ffrench said: "The youth will be eligible for parole in 10 months. He will be able to get his life back. What am I going to do?"

Mrs Ffrench said that tagging "obviously was not working" and she added: "These people should do some proper time in prison, where they can reflect on what they have done.

"When he gets out he can probably find the gun... another mother could find herself in the same situation as me. It's not good enough."

'Devastated'

A Home Office spokesman said 24,503 curfew orders had been issued since their introduction in 1999 and 83% of those had been successfully completed.

Norman Brennan, of the Victims of Crime Trust, said it was an "appalling" case and added: "The family of this victim have been devastated and will serve a true life sentence.

"How many more injustices do we have to have before we wake up and realise that the criminals are running the criminal justice system and the sad reality is the judiciary is allowing them to do so."