Jobless Mr Smith, who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, said he left school at 13 because crowds made him feel "anxious".
Pardon me for stating the obvious, but: says who?
Shocking moment Lauren was found
Wigan Today
09 December 2005
The jury in the Lauren Pilkington-Smith murder trial has heard of the horrifying moment the 10-year-old's bloodstained body was found hidden under leaves by her grandfather.
On day three of the trial at Liverpool Crown Court, a statement from Ken Pilkington detailed how he searched for his missing granddaughter in the early hours of Friday, July 8.
Shortly after 2am, he wandered the dark streets around Twist Lane and into woodland off Sanderson Street with his torch to guide him. He searched around the footpaths leading towards the canal and spotted Lauren's tracksuit bottoms.
Her body was covered by a mound of leaves from her knees up and she was lying on her side in a foetal position.
He brushed the leaves from her face and removed a sock from her mouth, hoping that she would gasp for air, but she was lifeless.
Mr Pilkington, deeply in shock, stumbled back towards Sanderson Street.
He could't find any police officers who were also searching for Lauren and shouted repeatedly for help until officers arrived.
The jury was told that Kieron Smith, the 18-year-old accused of murdering Lauren, has
Asperger's Syndrome. Smith's mother, Sonia Dooney, was in Turkey when Lauren was murdered and his elder step-sister Angela Dooney was staying with him.
A 12-year-old boy, who can't be named for legal reasons, told the court Lauren had complained of a man watching her on two separate occasions in the week of her murder.
She had also complained of a man watching her on the canal on the night of her disappearance.
Source: Wigan Today
http://www.wigantoday.net/ViewArticle2.a...ID=1282091
The jury was told that Kieron Smith, the 18-year-old accused of murdering Lauren, has Asperger's Syndrome.
Obvious question time again: by whom? If by the defence, shame on them as it is irrelevant. If by the prosecution, shame on them for slinging mud at us all.
The judge would most likely have asked for an assessment of the young man before the trial, and it would have been revealed then.
It seems as though the prosecution are mentioning certain factors which could make him seem more unusual, such as having to leave school early because of his AS.
When, and I do say when, they get a not guilty verdict because the prosecution's case seems nothing more than a lot of smoke and mirrors at this stage, I expect an apology from them. What is this? "He's guilty because he has Asperger's Syndrome"? Do they want to provoke a war or something?
As we in the UK have an adversial trial system, the prosecution will down-play any possible bearing that ASD might have on the alleged murder, since it is their role to apportion the maximum wilful and purposive intent to kill.
The defence, by contrast, will certainly make the most of his ASD - firstly to explain away, if needed, any inconsistencies and oddities in the defendent's account of himself and his actions, and secondly as mitigation and diminishment of responsibility if he is found guilty.
Either way, we are sure to hear lots more about it all.
Stella
The strongest point of evidence seems to be the blood from the girl which was found on his trousers, and for which he cannot account.
That type of evidence is very strong for a jury.
First thing to do is refute the diagnosis.
Do we have any people in the UK? Perhaps having a bunch of people protesting outside the trial would be a good start. Carry little picket signs saying things like "I am an Aspie, and as far as I can recall, I never murdered anyone" or the like. Hand out leaflets describing cases where an Aspie has been raped, murdered, or otherwise irreparably harmed in part because of the barriers to speaking out. Basically, if they want to make this all about Asperger's Syndrome, let's oblige them.
How can we refute it, if his own legal team are not refuting it, then it must be true. Certainly if he was diagnosed whilst in school then its not something conjured up just because he was arrested for this crime.
Very simply, we need to make the watching world aware that even if this man is guilty (which I doubt, as I said), the ratio of crimes by Aspies to crimes against Aspies is something like 1:1000 (and that is a conservative estimate). I really fear what kind of Dark Age stunt the prosecution is going to pull next.
" the ratio of crimes by Aspies to crimes against Aspies is something like 1:1000"
Yes, most probably true.
Well, we need to start informing the great unwashed of this before we get stuck in the same boat as the schizophrenic and forever doomed to live on society's fringe. I could fill a list of all the abuses against myself, and I do not want to wake up one morning finding I am lined up for more. :cry: