Is A Door Worth A Man's Life?

The opening story on this morning's news was of a local man, who had died following an "altercation" in town on Thursday.

The man's name was Deepak Abbi. He was 53, but seemed much younger. He had a wife and three children; two daughters and a son. He was an architect. For five years, he was a neighbour - I can stand at my back door and see the house where he lived. And for a while, he was also my boss.

He was trying to stop a gang attacking this door - the door to his office. For his trouble he got stomped. Three days later, he felt ill enough to go to hospital. Two days after that he was dead.

He was a decent guy; even after I'd left the practice, I'd run into him around the town every once in a while, and he'd always stop for a chat. Or I'd pass him at the station as he dropped his kids off for the train to school. The last time I saw him was the day I was signing off at the dole office; I met him coming out that door as I was passing. We had a chat about the state of the architecture business - he was still getting by - and he wished me well in my new career. He didn't deserve this. His wife doesn't deserve this. His children don't deserve this...

And there will be no justice for them. The worst that can be brought will be a manslaughter charge, but that won't happen. The pathologist may determine which blow caused his eventual death, but forensics will not establish who dealt it. And the case won't stick. So when they catch the pack of shits, they'll be charged with GBH - the worst the DPP can be sure of winning. And they'll get a five year sentence. And they'll be back on the streets inside three...

I wish things would get better, but the Annabel's case showed that it's all to easy to get away with murder - literally...