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[i]The relatives of a mother who was raped and murdered as she walked along a river bank in Glasgow, have described the sentence given to her attacker as "a mockery of justice". Thomas Waddell subjected Farah Noor Adams to what the judge described as a "hideous" ordeal last October. Today he was sentenced to life and told he would have to serve at least 16 years before he could apply for parole. Ms Adams family say that is too lenient and they are "utterly devastated".
As Thomas Waddell was taken off to begin his life sentence there were cries of "scum" and "fiend" from the back of the courtroom. In and attack which lasted half an hour the 19-year-old raped and murdered Farah Noor Adams who was power walking along the banks of the River Kelvin after dropping her daughter off at school last October.
Today Wadell was told he would spend at least 16 years in jail before he could be considered for release. But Ms Adams's relatives, who were too upset to speak on camera, said in a statement that that was not good enough.
Speaking on behalf of Ms Adams family, her brother Mohammed Shaheed, said the sentence had made a mockery of the justice system and shown other perpetrators of murder that the law is on their side and not that of the victims and their families. He said it felt as if the judge had imposed a life sentence on them instead.
Ms Adams family also critisised BT, saying their handling of 999 calls had failed her in her hour of need. The 34-year-old had repeatedly tried to call the emergency services during her ordeal but did not get through to an operator.
Sentencing Waddell, the judge told him his was a hideous crime. He said: "Your victim was a young woman who was completely unknown to you. You attacked her in the most brutal way and subjected he to a painful and degrading sexual ordeal and then you strangled her. An eight year old girl has been left without a mother and you have shown no guilt or remorse."
The judge added he would have ordered him to serve at least 19 years but the fact he had pleaded guilty meant he had reduced it by three. The court heard that Ms Adams family feel they will never come to terms with their loss - their legal team told the judge they miss her terribly.
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http://scotlandtoday.scottishtv.co.u...1&newsid=11050
(video clips avavilable on above link)
31-03-2006, 10:43 PM
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Family says sentence is a mockery of justice
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