Father 'threw girl off cliff to avoid child support'

metamorphosis

From breakingnews.ie

A father threw his four-year-old daughter off a cliff into the Pacific Ocean to avoid paying child support to her British mother, a court in the US has heard.

Opening the murder retrial of Cameron Brown, 47, yesterday, prosecutors said the accused had no interest in his child Lauren Sarene Key and motivated by financial gain, hurled the girl off Inspiration Point in Rancho Palos Verdes, California in 2000.

It is the second time that Brown has faced a jury over the allegations. In 2006 a mistrial was ruled after members of the jury failed to reach a verdict over the severity of the crime. Some favoured a first-degree murder conviction, while others were convinced it should be second-degree murder or manslaughter.

Brown has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His lawyer Pat Harris told the Los Angeles Superior court that the cliff fall was an accident.

But deputy district attorney Craig Hum painted the defendant, a former baggage handler for American Airlines, as an uncaring father who was motivated by financial claim.

The prosecution argue that he threw the young girl to her death to avoid paying around $1,000 a month in child support to Sarah Key-Marer, a British woman who emigrated to the US.

They allege that he took Lauren to the cliff where the pair couldn’t be seen and “hurled” her into the Pacific Ocean.

Mr Hum said: “This man picked up Lauren, whom he fathered but was never a father to, and threw her off a cliff into the waters below.”

But Brown’s defence team dismissed the prosecution’s case as based on “character assassination”.

Mr Harris painted his client as a loving parent.

He said Brown carried a picture of Lauren in his wallet, gave her gifts and celebrated with friends when he won visitation rights after the couple’s split.

The defence also pointed towards court documents filed two weeks before the girl’s death that indicated that Brown was seeking more contact with his daughter.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Mr Harris said.

The case continues



So this raises the question -what would YOU do to save a few quid?

BaZmO*

Is the pun in the thread title intentional?

Fink Goddie

And it worked!

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

1000 a month in child support? what the ****? Was she wearing diamond encrusted nappies?

RHunce

fair enough, a bit extreme, but fair enough

emeraldstar

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Biggins

ULstudent wrote: »

From breakingnews.ie

A father threw his four-year-old daughter off a cliff...

So this raises the question -what would YOU do to save a few quid?

Bump him off if I was in that country and save the state a lot of money!

Caoimhín

Its certainly creative.

Xiney

She'd be 13 years old now.

Poor thing.

Podge2k7

Meh, he's got to do what he's got to do.

metamorphosis

You'd get away with what he done here in Ireland because we have some cops that are plain knobbers.

Must be a bit slow to do it in the states though - has he not seen Forensic detectives?

I remember as a child looking over that big giant hole looking down into the seas on the ballybunion cliffs and my sister pretended to push me ... needless to say i shat my pants and never really able to go close to a cliff edge again .... some experience been thrown off ... and not in a good way.

IvyTheTerrible

Podge2k7 wrote: »

Meh, he's got to do what he's got to do.

You'ld throw a kid off a cliff yourself then no problem? :rolleyes:

Wazdakka

He might actually be innocent you know?

IvyTheTerrible

Wazdakka wrote: »

He might actually be innocent you know?

True, but I presume somebody threw her off the cliff, or was it just an accident?

The_Minister

Biggins wrote: »

Bump him off if I was in that country and save the state a lot of money!

We aren't sure he's guilty.

He probably is, but sometimes kids do fall off cliffs.

Wazdakka

The_Minister wrote: »

but sometimes kids do fall off cliffs.

They do don't they..

<_<
>_>

Fink Goddie

If he threw some m&m's or smarties off the cliff first and the kid happened to jump off the cliff to get them, is he still guilty???

Cuddlesworth

Fink Goddie wrote: »

If he threw some m&m's or smarties off the cliff first and the kid happened to jump off the cliff to get them, is he still guilty???

Crime against Candy. His child Candy that is.

It BeeMee

He should have hired Louise Woodward to look after her.

Helix

original approach, fair play to him

Fratton Fred

I took my mum to see Cliff once and I've had nightmares ever since.

Fink Goddie

Fratton Fred wrote: »

I took my mum to see Cliff once and I've had nightmares ever since.

Thats enough to send anyone over the edge