| Hateland -
Articles |
28/06/00
- London nailbomber invented delusions, court told
The confessed Nazi who killed three people in London
bomb attacks last year made up his mental illness after
his arrest in order to receive a lighter sentence, a
court heard on Wednesday. David Copeland, 24, has pleaded
guilty to manslaughter and to setting off three nail
bombs last year which injured more than 100 people.
Copeland's defence wants him to face the lesser charge
of manslaughter, rather than the three counts of murder
which he has denied, on the grounds that he suffered
from an "abnormality of mind" at the time
of the attacks which diminished his responsibility.
Citing the evidence of a psychiatrist, a psychologist
and a psychiatric nurse, prosecutor Nigel Sweeney described
how Copeland changed his story several times after his
arrest in May 1999 and made no reference to having delusions
or hearing voices until months later.
"However many times the defence have tried to work
a delusion into what he said to the police it simply
isn't there," Sweeney said in his closing arguments.
If he were truly delusional Copeland would have told
police what he later told doctors -- that God had chosen
him as a prophet to start a race war, Sweeney said.
Sweeney said Copeland made calculated decisions when
plotting his bomb attacks in London's mainly black Brixton
district, in the Bangladeshi neighbourhood of Brick
Lane and on a gay bar in Soho.
Sweeney said Copeland hoped his actions would secure
him a lighter sentence. "He made his choice and
he should be made to pay for his choice," Sweeney
said. Closing arguments by the defence are due to begin
on Wednesday afternoon. |
| Contact : bernard.omahoney@bernardomahoney.com |
|
|
|
