Neil Entwistle

[Stu in USA]

This British citizen has been accused of shooting his wife and baby in the USA . I understand that if he fights extradition it could take years and end up in the European courts. Why not send him back immediately to face the charges? I know there's this whole capital punishment issue, but I'm sure he'll have a fair trial and not end up in Guatanabo(sp?).

[jake-the-peg]

Fair trial or not the UK does not extradite anybody to a country where they'll face the death penalty - end of story.

There'll have to be an undertaking that he won't face a capital sentence before he can be extradited

[Drusilla]

According to this site, Massachusetts does not have the death penalty, so I don't see any problem with extradition.

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/state/#dpstates

[Stu in USA]

Thanks Drusilla for checking up on that information. I hope we both agree on this one. Send him back asap.

[Drisgirl]

I'm sure I heard on the news he was being extradited.Strange case from the start.

[bernardo]

if he fights extradition it could take years and end up in the European courts. Why not send him back immediately to face the charges?

You have answered your own question. "Sending him back to face the charges" is exactly what extradition is. If he claims that he is innocent, then of course he can "fight extradition" which may take some time. The authorities can't just send him back "immediately", because to do so would be to avoid the legal requirements of the extradition process. They can't just go sending people around the world willy-nilly to various foreign countries, just because the athorities of those countries demand it without due process.

I am confused about why you are even asking the question - either you have misunderstood the process, or I have misunderstood your question.

[Hans_Olo]

I have a feeling that the law was changed to allow easier extradition to some countries eg the US so people esp terrorists could be extradited without the case being put before the uk court - effectively allowing the US to say we want him so send him over, but european law - and now uk law I think does stop extradition for death sentence offences. I'm sure the layers and the courts will have a field day!

[Drisgirl]

Maybe the reason he bailed out to the UK pronto - before the bodies were discovered.

[Stu in USA]

bernardo, my question is related the amount of time it could take for the process of extradition. I'm sure he's going to plead innocent and of course the authorities shouldn't be sending British citizens to any country just because they ask. My point is why could it take so long to extradite someone to a country we have an extradition treaty with. Also could he be tried in the UK?

[Stu in USA]

Having reread my original question again (always a good idea) I shouldn't have written "immediately", "asap" I meant! And why the hell did I put a "b" in Guatanamo?

[Drusilla]

I thought that was an American spelling Stu. :-)

[bernardo]

Oh! In that case, the word "asap" instead of "immediately" completely changes the whole hippopotamus.

[SeaJayPea]

And let us not forget that The United States will never just ship one of its citizens abroad on a local police say-so. It, quite rightly, has to go through the courts.

[Stu in USA]

hippopotamus????

[libertie]

Just heard on the news that they are now considering the possibility that it was a murder / suicide but he lost his nerve at the last moment....and ran back home to mum and dad.....how bizarre is that! Just might help explain why he ran off and did'nt hang around to give his wife and child a decent burial!

[Goodsoulette]

If he did kill his baby that is going to drive him insane. Why do men do this sort of thing so often?

[Bluemukka]

He will be extradited only if the British Court decides that the US has enough evidence against him - not just assumptions and evidence made to fit (a la Sion Jenkins).

I think the suicide pact sounds plausable. It would explain why the US police held off for a while - her wounds could be consistent with suicide and they would then assume she killed the baby too. Just conjecture I know, but a very tragic case - how anyone could kill a baby I don't know.

[noxlumos]

Apparently he's not fighting extradition, which to me means one of two things, either he knows it's inevitable he'll be extradited or he's innocent and incensed at the accusation.He could be on a plane today... extraordinary.

[Drisgirl]

The latest being he murdered his wife and baby - o how awful and now complicated as he fled the scene back to good old blighty who take in all the waifs and strays and wont give them up unlesss blackmailed.

[tazman566]

well he is being sent back now, hes agreed to be flown back to america and face the fbi charges on him.well all i can say about him is its a shame he didnt get to shoot himself too. as he was going to. what a chicken way out of life, if everyone shot there wife and child because theyd lost there job and had no money there wouldnt be many people in this world would there.