Child killer's term 'too lenient'

Tom Geeling said his son was treated "like garbage"

The parents of murdered schoolboy Joe Geeling have said his killer's 12-year jail sentence is "too lenient".

Cystic fibrosis sufferer Joe, 11, was hit with a frying pan and stabbed before his body was dumped in a park in Bury, Greater Manchester, on 1 March.

Michael Hamer, 15, was jailed for life for murder last month, but he will be considered for parole after 12 years.

Tom and Gwen Geeling said their son was treated "like a piece of garbage" and the judge had "missed the point".

Hamer, who was 14 at the time of the attack, pleaded guilty to murder at the start of his trial at Manchester Crown Court.

The court heard how he lured his fellow pupil from St Gabriel's RC High School back to his house in Bury but lashed out when his sexual advances were rejected.

Joe was hit over the head with a frying pan so hard that it broke, before he was stabbed 16 times.

Hamer then put the body in a wheelie bin and pushed it to a nearby park and tried to hide it in a wooded gully.

Joe was lured back to Hamer's home and repeatedly stabbed

Mr Geeling said: "Joe was kidnapped and abducted. That's bad enough. He was held in that house against his will.

"He was murdered and his body was treated like a piece of garbage. He was disposed of and then that lad went to school as though nothing had happened.

"If he's [Hamer] capable of this now, what is he going to be capable of when he's coming out of prison?

"It's not out of sour grapes, it's just that we don't think that 12 years stacks up."

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has asked the Attorney General to consider an appeal against the sentence.

When asked if they could forgive their son's killer, the Geelings said they were unsure.

Mr Geeling said: "I don't know. It's very difficult. You can never say never but there has been no sign of remorse from Hamer. There was no sign in court."

They said that Hamer's mother had not been in touch with them but that they would find it hard to believe anything Hamer would say.

A trust fund has been set up in memory of Joe, with money going towards research into cystic fibrosis and Booth Hall Children's Hospital in Manchester where he was treated.

Contact: The Joe Geeling Trust Fund, c/o Nexus Solicitors, Carlton House, 16-18 Albert Square, Manchester, England, M2 5PE.