On May 8th 2003, Johnny Delaney, a young 15 yr old traveller was killed during a racist attack in which he was kicked and stamped on the head by Lewis Mc Veigh and Ricky Kearney, both aged 16. After stamping on Johnny's head with both feet, one of the attackers told a woman witness that "He deserved it, he's only a fucking Gippo" Another witness to the attack said that Mc Veigh was stamping on Johnny "like he was trying to bury his head" Ricky Kearney, an amateur boxer, thought it would be a good idea to kick Johnny in his face when he was lying lifeless on the floor.

Justice Richards decides attack is not racist - what planet did we get him from?

Mr Justice Richards, the Judge presiding over the case held in Chester crown Court, decided the attack was not racist despite the fact that the killers were clearly heard shouting racist abuse before and after they repeatedly stamped on the young lads head. There is most definitely racism directed towards Johnny's family who are travellers living in an official travellers camp, but what would some tired old privileged ex public schoolboy know about racism towards travellers?. Odds are they'll be racist, the upper classes often are. The prosecution were arguing that the attack was racist but the Judge seemed to dismiss all this. After kicking poor Johnny to death on a muddy field, one of the attackers clearly stated that they had kicked Johnny because he was "only a fucking Gippo", a number of different witnesses to the attack swore on oath that they had heard racist abuse directed towards Johnny before and after the attack. Mr Justice Richards should be investigated to see just how he managed to miss the racism in this case. Giving these killers 4 and half years is a joke whether they were racists or not. They'll be out in 2 years or less, maybe in time to celebrate their 18th birthdays. British Justice is a joke and we ALL know it. Apart from the Judges it would seem.

Police say 4 and a half year sentence sends out message that violence will not be tolerated.

Detective Chief Inspector Ged Manley, senior investigating officer in the case commented 'We have two young people who have been found guilty of manslaughter and the message is to anyone involved in violence of any sort, whether racially motivated or not, that this will not be tolerated.' You'd think more of him if he just turned round and told us he's sick to death of watching scum get off lightly. Sadly, a cop's career will take a sharp downturn if he or she seems to talk the language of common sense.

4 and half year sentence is NOT a deterrent.

Detective Ged Manley is reading from the same old tired worn out script which the police read from time and time again, he may not have written it but the public is getting frustrated by this message. The sentence is NOT a message that violence will not be tolerated; it's a message that violence WILL be treated very leniently. The message is that you can cold bloodedly kick someone to death and maybe serve 2 years after time off for 'good behaviour'. Had the two killers robbed a bank with an imitation shotgun, they'd have got a longer sentence than actually jumping on someone's head in a racist attack and killing them. Detective Ged Maloney and every other cop on the Cheshire Force, know that this sentence was a JOKE. Indeed the Police make an unusual point of stating after the court hearing that "Nevertheless, it seems clear that the incident as a whole was aggravated by underlying tensions that existed between members of the travelling community and local youngsters". It seems the police may be telling the Judge he got it wrong. If Cheshire Police went public and made their feelings known, it would be something that the people could applaud the police for. For the 50,000 travellers children in the UK it would go some way to ensuring that they are less at risk and that there are no more cases like Johnny Delaney's.

Making comparisons to the Lawrence Murder

In a way the situation is similar to the Steven Lawrence murder. Patrick Delaney wasn't black, but a traveller with an Irish accent is also a target for racists and bigots. The police investigation was at least straightforward in as much as the killers were easy to find, with reliable witnesses coming forward and the attack taking place in broad daylight.

Stephen Lawrence Murdered by racists

Like the Stephen Lawrence murder, we clearly have evidence here that racism was a factor, in fact, we have more witnesses and a racist term used in a more graphic and frightening manner than in the Lawrence case. According to evidence, Stephen Lawrence was attacked by a group of men who shouted out "what what nigger" before they stabbed him. The police themselves messed up the initial investigation; this is at least not the case with the death of Johnny although as explained it was a relatively simple murder to solve. The problem is that the Police, Courts or the CPS did not make sure that this murder was treated as racist.

Remember that Stephen Lawrence's murder is clearly defined as racist, but the attack on Johnny had MORE evidence of racist intent, more independent witnesses and one can only wonder at how it came to be that the murder was not deemed racist.

He's only a fucking Gippo"

One of Johnny Delaney's attackers said "He got what he deserved, he's only a fucking Gippo" after repeatedly jumping with force on Johnny Delaney's head as he lay unconscious. Stephen Lawrence's parents were courted by the police, the establishment and every political organisation in the UK backed them because there son was the victim of a racist attack. Meanwhile, Johnny Delaney's family cannot even get the Courts or the CPS to admit that their son's death was a racist attack. Is this institutionalised racism against travellers?

Racist abuse is heard before and after the murder - but it's not a racist murder.

There has always been a certain amount of animosity which clearly spills over into racism by people towards travellers. We saw some posh village down South actually burning a 'mocked up' travellers caravan on bonfire night, a bit like a latter day KKK burning crosses. The crucial proof of the Patrick Delaney killing being racist is the amount of witnesses who heard racist abuse before and after the killing and the remark by Lewis Mc Veigh who, after stamping on Johnny's head, clearly states that he done it because Johnny was "only a fucking Gippo!" Had Johnny been Black and the attacker had said "He's only a fucking nigger" - we wonder would the Liverpool Echo have said that murder was racist? We think they most certainly would AND maybe ran some campaign. So why treat Johnny's death differently?

No level playing field

If we compare this to the Stephen Lawrence situation it is clear that travellers are seemingly not being given a level playing field. These points are perhaps something lawyers and the police are aware of, but the communities and indeed the travelling community need to be made aware of what actually constitutes a racist murder. Does racist intent need to be proven before the murder took place? It was proven. Is this an absolute rule of law or simply guidelines which the police and maybe courts and CPS decide on? Surely the family of Johnny Delaney need to get top legal advice, no doubt their fellow travellers, friends and neighbours will pull together and pursue this. This is not the last we will hear of the death of this poor young lad. Anyone who looks at the evidence will soon conclude that this case has racism written all over it. If we compare this case to the Lawrence murder - there is more proof that the murder of Johnny was racist. A lot more.

50,000 Traveller Children in the UK. Ofsted pinpoint racism and bullying.

There are 200,000 to 300,000 travelling people in the UK made up of Irish travellers and gypsies from England, Wales and Scotland. There are 50,000 traveller children. One third of the traveller community have no safe legal and secure stopping place. Many have no access to water, refuse disposal and other essential services. An Ofsted report found that the higher rates of exclusion among traveller children were due more to racism and bullying than bad behaviour.90% of traditional places for travellers have been blocked off or made inaccessible over the past 20 years.

Will we see another Mc Phearson Report for Travellers?

Kirkby Times hope that Patrick Delaney's family get their own Mc Phearson Report, looking at the statistics above, it is clear that people like Johnny were subject to both institutionalised racism and a racism which apparently cannot be spotted even though Johnny was killed 'for being a fucking Gippo".

Kirkby Times would like to send out sympathy and support to Johnny family and friends. For the killers of this young lad to be given a laughable 4 and a half year is a JOKE and once again it makes a mockery of the very word Justice. The manner in which this young lad was murdered should have led to big sentences being dished out, hopefully life. Institutional racism does exist still, and despite the Mc Phearson report, it seems that some sections of society are still not being taken seriously in their claims that racism is a factor.

For the sake of this family, let's hope and pray that this case is investigated and subject to a full public inquiry with independent scrutiny of all parties concerned.

RIP Johnny.