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Journalism of Courage
Three British teenagers have pleaded guilty to the shocking killing an Indian sailor in a racially motivated attack on a ship in the UK in October 2007.
At the Winchester Crown Court yesterday,the three teenagers,Stephen Pritchard,Daniel Rogers,and Chay Fields,admitted to manslaughter. They also pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm on Vinod. Two other 15-year-old boys from Fawley,who cannot be identified for legal reasons,also admitted to assaulting Vinod.
Justice Royce,adjourned the case and ordered pre-sentence reports on all five,who will be sentenced in March. The three teenagers who admitted killing Fernandes were remanded in custody and the other two were granted bail.
There was evidence that some of [the defendants,prior to setting eyes on Mr Fernandes,were saying they wanted to beat up a Paki – that was the sort of language being used, Detective inspector Dave Dilly of Hampshire police said. Soon after,the teenagers hit Fernandes who suffered heart failure brought on by the stress of the attack, said Dilly.
Nigel Pascoe,prosecuting lawyer,said the attack itself did not severely injure Fernandes who suffered only a broken tooth,but the pleas indicated the very serious responsibility of the trio in the death of the sailor.
