Alan Higgins vs Annabel case

Jekell

I was listening to the radio this morning and someone made an interesting point: why is it that there was a certain amount of sympathy for the boys in the Annabel case, but not in the Alan Higgins case?
The end result was the same - a boy died. I suppose there was the fact that Christopher Dunne went out with a knife with the intent of robbing and injuring Alan Higgins, and the guys in the Annabel case got into a fight that went wrong, although 3/4/5 guys against 1 is quite scary....
But I am wondering if it is the "scumbag from bad area" versus "nice boys in the wrong place at the wrong time" mentality.
I am guilty of this too - I guess I can empathise with the Annabel guys more (not that I am at all saying they should not have gone to jail!)

I don't know all the facts from both cases, but I thought it was an interesting question....

jobless

i think the difference was that one was premeditated.....i dont think the lads went out saying alright i'm gonna kick someone to death after the disco...whereas carrying a knife around is totally different....he was out to do someone damage...he wasn't drunk he knew what he was doin

Sposs

I think the fact in the alan higgins case the knackers went home and got a kitchen knife,not to mention they all had attached and robbed three other people that night. They would have just got worse and worse its better there now off the street.
I dont think people have that much sysmpathy for the Annabel case,but i dont think it was intentional after all we've all seen many drunken fights and i dont think people set out to kill each there usually just too drunk to know better.

Ciaran_Dub

Not quite sure its the whole scumbag V rich kid thing. Like you said one was premeditated. What did annoy me about that annabel case was all the appeals for reduced sentences and postponing sentences so one could finish his exams. Sorry but you did wrong whether you like it or not, they made there bed they have to lie in it. That goes for both cases.

Jekell

Yeah, I see what you mean about the premeditated thing.

Another question then - if Christopher Dunne had been born in Fox Rock to a wealthy family, do you think he would still have been a robber/murderer?
I have heard people say that background has nothing to do with it, but the environment you grow up in is definitely, in part, to blame.

I realise that not all people who are poor/uneducated/from "bad" areas etc become criminals, but some people are mentally stronger than others, and do not conform to the environment around them, whereas others are more easily led....

I know that is not very well stated - hope you can understand my meaning....

AngelofFire

I agree completely with Jeckell, if the annabels boys had of been from a working class background they would have gone down worse than young Dunne. I have no doubt that the verdicts in both cases were somewhat infuleced by the media. The sympathy given to Andrew Frame et al in the media was a bit much, what disgusted me the most is that it made the poor victim brian murphy out to be a bad person who somehow brought it on himself, this is very insenstive towards his family and close ones, my heart blead when i heard brians mother speak on the radio. The media seem to think that people from posh backgrounds can do no wrong, whilst people from working class backgrounds are inherintley toublemaking.

oscarBravo

Jekell wrote:

I guess I can empathise with the Annabel guys more

Why?

therecklessone

AngelofFire wrote:

what disgusted me the most is that it made the poor victim brian murphy out to be a bad person who somehow brought it on himself

AngelofFire wrote:

The media seem to think that people from posh backgrounds can do no wrong, whilst people from working class backgrounds are inherintley toublemaking.

Does the first quote not invalidate your point in the second?