In the cold light of day

If you look at the papers, the Internet, both locally and nationally, almost every day there's stories of knife crime, aggressive car theft, muggings, crime where the perpetrator uses violence against the victim.

Similarly, there are the catch up stories from the courts where the convicted criminals from a few months back are let off with a warning, community service, a paltry fine or if they're really unlucky, a letter telling them they're not allowed to break the law (yet) again.

There's little wonder, therefore, that the more 'honest' citizens decide to take the law into the own hands.

The stories coming out of the latest stabbing in Nottingham, leading to the death of a teenage boy, mainly conclude that it involve a failed burglary involving the victim.

Whatever your views on the state of crime in this country, the social reasons leading to disaffected youngsters, sentencing, the political answers or the bigger picture, what can't be forgotten is that here a young man has lost his life, lost his opportunity to shine, lost his chance to make amends for any perceived indiscretions. A mother has lost her son, her first born as it happens, a father's lost his son, he was some one's brother, lots of peoples' friend.

Whatever the outcome of the investigation, what can't be forgotten is that we DON'T have the death penalty in this country for ANY crime. People DON'T deserve to die for their crimes, and sitting on the internet "praising his killer" (Story in the Nottingham Evening Post, March 17) is morally wrong and as insensitive as you can possibly get.