Family of West Norfolk man condemn five-year sentence given to his killer
The family of a West Norfolk man who was kicked to death in a street fight have today condemned the sentence handed down to his killer.
Nathan Turner, 24, of Brentwood, Essex, was jailed for five years at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, having previously admitted the manslaughter of Dean Jose, 47, from Heacham.
But members of Mr Jose’s family have issued a statement this afternoon in which they criticised the sentence as too lenient.
The court was told that, at the time of the incident of the incident last August, Turner was on bail for drugs offences and had a previous conviction for causing actual bodily harm.
But his family argue the sentence could effectively be reduced to as little as two years if Turner is released early.
They said: “Is that all our son’s life is worth? No wonder the prisons are overflowing, there is no deterrent.
“Possibly in two years’ time, he will be free to carry on as before, still only 26, where as our granddaughters will still be missing their dad and his wife her husband.
“We could not bury him for almost three months, it had to be a closed coffin funeral.
“Our family are still grieving and will be for a long time. We were looking for some sort of closure but the sentence he’s been given hasn’t provided this.
“He admitted manslaughter knowing he would get a lighter sentence but with the judge having his prior record you would have thought a heavier sentence was warranted. So is this British justice?”