And the list continues....
by Louise Livesey // 5 March 2008, 17:07
The Guardian reports that Karl Taylor has been convicted of murdering Kate Beagley on their "first date". I put that in inverted commas because often a friendly relationship is called "dating" in Court and I don't know whether this was an actual date or not - Taylor and Beagley met in a club and agreed to meet up a few days later but Taylor then claims she was "ignoring" him on the "date". What isn't in dispute is that Taylor stabbed Beagely 31 times in the face and neck.
I kid you not that his defence was " she ran onto my knife 31 times to commit suicide, your honor", his explanation to the Police was that he stabbed her in self-defence because she was scratching his face (obviously that's reasonable force). He also stole Beagely's car and mobile phone and she was found naked so one can only assume what happened between death and Taylor leading Police to her body which he had dumped in Oxhey Woods, north west London. Taylor has admitted to washing the body (to remove evidence we assume) but nothing more.
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Poetry in Motion // Posted 05 March 2008 at 18:24
I read the main article and I am truly shocked, a horrific crime, and the arguments he used to excuse himself just beggar belief.
JENNIFER DREW // Posted 05 March 2008 at 22:48
Oh yes male sexual and physical violence against women continues unabated but it isn't systematic misogyny or men committing femicide. No, it is just individual men who happen to be 'evil,' 'deviant,' or just plain 'mad.' On no account must we name reality men murdering and raping women because these men hate women because they happen to be biologically female NOT MALE. There is a name for this crime but as yet it is still not accepted and that name is male hatred of women.
Virago // Posted 06 March 2008 at 10:40
What amazes me about these trials is the excuses the accused come up with to attempt to make them look innocent, or explain their behaviour as rational. Mark Dixie tried to explain that he'd been a bit drunk, seen Sally-Anne passed out and 'taken advantage of the situation', as if any rational man would do the same! And Karl Taylor's excuse that his victim stabbed herself 31 times (is it even possible to stab yourself? Especially more than a handful of times?) with a knife that he'd 'dropped' seems almost laughable.
The lack of empathy they must have to commit these violent misogynist acts obviously hinders them from grasping that their excuses sound like a child's desperate lie to get out of trouble.
Lynsey Rose // Posted 06 March 2008 at 23:22
It's been a grim year for violent sexual murder of women. The thing about cases like this is... it could easily have been you or me. At what point in the night did he decide to do it? Did he just not see her as a person at all? Seeing the CCTV footage of him walking so casually into the garage just beggars belief.