Girls jailed for murdering drunk man
E/C Annie
>From correspondents in London
February 09, 2005
TWO teenage girls who kicked and stamped to death a drunk middle-aged
man who they said made "inappropriate sexual advances" at a party were
jailed for life today.
Maxine Breakspear, 19, and Rochelle Etherington, 18, were found guilty
at the Old Bailey in December of the murder of 42-year-old James
Dalrymple from Northern Ireland.
The girls said Mr Dalrymple rubbed his hand up one of the defendants'
legs and asked for sex at a party at his house in Walton-on-Thames,
Surrey.
Sentence had been adjourned until today for reports.
"However irritating his behaviour was or offensive his language, the
fact is he died an unlawful death in his own home," Judge Peter
Beaumont told the girls.
"You will have to bear that responsibility for the rest of your lives."
Both girls were ordered to serve at least 13 years before being
eligible for parole.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12195874%255E1702,00.html
Teenage girls face life in prison
Two teenage girls were facing life in prison after being found guilty
of the murder of a middle-aged man they accused of making an indecent
proposal during a party.
Maxine Breakspear, 19, and Rochelle Etherington, 18, mounted a savage
attack on drunken 42-year-old James Dalrymple. They laid into him as he
tried to throw out an older woman from his flat in Walton-on-Thames,
Surrey.
Mr Dalrymple was kicked and punched and a video recorder smashed twice
on to his head.
As he lay dying from brain damage, his attackers returned to the
blood-spattered flat to steal his wallet and mobile phone, the Old
Bailey was told.
The painter and decorator's body was found the following day. He had 50
injuries to his face, neck and body. He had a print of a trainer shoe
on his face which had also been cut with a screwdriver.
The flat, which had been a gathering point for local youngsters, had
been ransacked, said Jonathan Turner QC, prosecuting. Mr Turner said:
"Maxine Breakspear said he had made an indecent suggestion to her."
One of her friends had complained that he had tried to kiss her and
said he wanted to make love to her. The court was told that a fight
started after Mr Dalrymple attacked an older woman at the flat. The
teenagers and two younger girls joined in to help the woman.
But Mr Turner said Breakspear and Etherington continued attacking Mr
Dalrymple and were seen to smash the video recorder on his head.
Breakspear and Etherington, both of Walton-on-Thames, had tried to
blame each other for the attack in January when they were arrested.
They denied murder but were found guilty by a jury. The Recorder of
London Judge Peter Beaumont remanded them in custody for six weeks for
pre-sentence reports to help determine a minimum term to be serviced.
He said: "There is only one sentence I can pass. I want to find out why
this happened."