Christopher McGee------The Liverpool Rail Guard.

[maggie]

Christopher is to appeal against his 5 year sentence. The first hearing will be held at the Court of Appeal in London next Thursday. So I'll keep you updated. He was jailed last November 2012.

It seemed a really harsh sentence lookout. It sounded far more like an accident or misadventure than a criminal offence imo?

[lookout]

It seemed a really harsh sentence lookout. It sounded far more like an accident or misadventure than a criminal offence imo?

Maggie,,5 years was very harsh indeed for something which wasn't borne out of intention.
Fancy allowing a 16 year old,,who was literally legless that night,,to make her way home from Liverpool to West Kirby. Some friends she had for not keeping the girl safe until next day,,or the girls' mother arrangeing transport. But like everything else,,someone has to take the blame.
Now if Christopher had sent the girl out into the night to make her find her own way home,,then yes,,I'd have said that was criminal.
The girl had fallen a few times on her way to the station anyway,,so what was to stop passers-by from seeking help.? She didn't even know where she lived,she was that drunk,,and got off at the wrong station.
I signed the petition which had thousands of names. Poor inoffensive guy wouldn't hurt anyone,,and doesn't live that far from me.I used to see him often in the village,,,and a friend of mine who runs a pub,who'd set-up the petition,said he'd been calling there for years for his pint on the way home from work.

[maggie]

Maggie,,5 years was very harsh indeed for something which wasn't borne out of intention.
Fancy allowing a 16 year old,,who was literally legless that night,,to make her way home from Liverpool to West Kirby. Some friends she had for not keeping the girl safe until next day,,or the girls' mother arrangeing transport. But like everything else,,someone has to take the blame.
Now if Christopher had sent the girl out into the night to make her find her own way home,,then yes,,I'd have said that was criminal.
The girl had fallen a few times on her way to the station anyway,,so what was to stop passers-by from seeking help.? She didn't even know where she lived,she was that drunk,,and got off at the wrong station.
I signed the petition which had thousands of names. Poor inoffensive guy wouldn't hurt anyone,,and doesn't live that far from me.I used to see him often in the village,,,and a friend of mine who runs a pub,who'd set-up the petition,said he'd been calling there for years for his pint on the way home from work.

I agree lookout. I've two girls who got drunk with the best of them in their teenage years.  These girls have no idea the risk they're taking.  Someone in that state is vulnerable to anyone or thing.  I would wonder who sold her the alcoholanyway as they have broken the law imo and are more responsible for her death than he was. 

[lookout]

I agree lookout. I've two girls who got drunk with the best of them in their teenage years.  These girls have no idea the risk they're taking.  Someone in that state is vulnerable to anyone or thing.  I would wonder who sold her the alcoholanyway as they have broken the law imo and are more responsible for her death than he was. 

Maggie,,the girl had been to a party in Liverpool,,for her friends' 18th birthday,,so she'd have been drinking at the house. Wouldn't you have thought that someone would have rung to either tell the parent/s to pick her up,,or for her friend to keep her there at the house.? A 16 year old wandering round Liverpool at night,,alone and drunk? I'd have been mortified if it had been my daughter.
At least my g/daughters' friends rang home if she was drunk somewhere.They wouldn't have left her.

[maggie]

Maggie,,the girl had been to a party in Liverpool,,for her friends' 18th birthday,,so she'd have been drinking at the house. Wouldn't you have thought that someone would have rung to either tell the parent/s to pick her up,,or for her friend to keep her there at the house.? A 16 year old wandering round Liverpool at night,,alone and drunk? I'd have been mortified if it had been my daughter.
At least my g/daughters' friends rang home if she was drunk somewhere.They wouldn't have left her.

Absolutely, lookout. I remember driving all over the place not only picking up my drunken daughters but also ferrying their friends either taking them home or bringing them back with me.  I suppose that's a plus for there being no public transport at all.  What happened was a tragedy for both the girl and Christopher McGee.  The parents are responsible for 16 year olds they're minors, it seems all wrong to me.

[lookout]

Sad to say that Christopher failed in his appeal.
Christophers lawyers took his case to the Court of Appeal on Thursday and argued before Lord Justice Pitchford,Mr Justice Griffith Williams and Judge Neil Ford QC,,that the sentence was too harsh.

After a 90 minute hearing,Lord Justice Pitchford threw Christophers appeal out.
Peter Birkett QC had argued that the five year term was out of step with previous sentencing decisions in gross negligence manslaughter cases and didn't reflect his personal mitigation.
Christopher had been a train guard for 20 years and had an unblemished record,,that he'd also suffered from the incident due to post traumatic stress disorder and it was his first prison sentence for a man of good character.

The QC had told the three appeal judges that this was an appellant who was not previously described as the criminal milieu and any imprisonment is particularly hard to bear.
Giving judgement,,Lord Justice Pitchford said the appeal wasn't even arguable.

[susan]

Morning lookout

sad this has happened as the guy did not intentionally mean this to happen and Rail staff take so much abuse from drunks on all city stations and at times must be very frustrating for them.  I feel for the girls parents and I feel for him and his family

[lookout]

Morning lookout

sad this has happened as the guy did not intentionally mean this to happen and Rail staff take so much abuse from drunks on all city stations and at times must be very frustrating for them.  I feel for the girls parents and I feel for him and his family

Me too Susan. A sad time all round. I know the guy and he's the most inoffensive chap you'd ever come across. Wouldn't hurt a fly.