Sympathy For The Family Of The Devil Now..?

The family of a mum who was kicked to death on the street yelled out 'scum' as her murderer 'smiled' when he was taken down to the cells to face more than 18 years behind bars.

A domestic? Well, no.

Florin Ion was jailed for life after murdering 47-year-old Julie Hunt, a complete stranger to him, near Lakeside Shopping Centre in Thurrock while she was on her way to work at around 8.30am on Friday, April 20 last year.

The defendant, who was 31 when he carried out the brutal attack, knocked Julie to the floor when the two of them came face to face. He then proceeded to kick and stamp on her head in full view of several passers-by, fracturing her bones and causing severe brain injuries.

Strange name. Not very Essex, is it?

Ion, from Romania, had only been in the country for around four months when he savagely assaulted Julie.

He'd been on a bus to catch a ferry back to his homeland when it stopped at a Lakeside stop for a comfort break.

Already at that stop was the victim, on her way to work. She made the mistake of catching this creature's eye as he ran for a bus he thought was his.

The callous attack was witnessed by several people as they made their way to work on that Friday. Mr Stocks, who was driving the tanker, attempted to intervene, pulling a crowbar out of his truck to try and stop Ion.

But the court heard how Ion's aggression only intensified when bystanders approached him.

Nevertheless, they ran him off, and held him until police arrived. Sadly, far too late for the victim. You'll no doubt be wondering if he tried an insanity defence?

Mitigating on Ion's behalf, Paul Mendelle explained how Ion thought the victim was going to kill him.

/facepalm

Five independent experts examined Ion during the course of last year to determine whether any underlying mental health issues could explain the unprovoked attack.

All of them concluded that there was no explanation for the incident other than Ion's anger

All this delayed the trial. But it's only taxpayer money, after all.

The most shocking thing was the judge's summing up:

Judge Lynch passed a sentence of life, with a minimum tariff of at least 18 years and four months.

In her sentencing remarks, she said: "I also take into account the family of the defendant - their pain too I appreciate is great.

"I hope this can be conveyed to them afterwards - it is a tragedy for many people."

How heartwarming.

H/T: Ted Treen via email