Advice for media student

[26032006]

I am writing a script for a corse at university and would like some advice on the story i have written. Its about violent marriage where the husband phisically abuses his wife and then turns his anger on her son. His wife sees him beating her son and kills him. What would normally be the outcome from this in a court of law?

[Zulu]

Depending on the circumstances the outcome could range from a murder charge and life imprisonment to an acquital if it could be proved that the wife was acting in defence of herself or her son.
Depending on the contents on your script the most likely scenario is a manslaughter charge on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The attack on the husband would have to be instantaneous rather than being premeditated for this to apply. If she was found guilty of manslaughter in this scenario she'd be looking at a sentence of about 8 years, of which she'd serve half.
Hope that helps.

[JRB]

For example - if she goes for her husband with a knife whilst he is in the process of attacking the the son that would probably be treated leniently, especially if she can prove her own abuse. However if she waits several hours until husband is asleep and knifes him then, that is thought of as being premeditated and the sentence would be harder. There have been some strange (cruel?) verdicts in the courts on these kinds of cases.