Matthew Williams, a 29-year-old aspiring chef, was fatally stabbed in the neck while attempting to mediate a confrontation between two residents at a Community Living Trust accommodation in Hamilton.
The incident, which occurred on February 7 last year, unfolded when Williams intervened between Joseph Pitcaithly and Bailey Ecclestone, the latter of whom has autism and ADHD.
The altercation escalated when Ecclestone, after witnessing a plate being thrown, picked up a knife and stabbed Williams, leading to injuries that proved fatal days later at Waikato Hospital. Ecclestone, 22, was subsequently sentenced to four years and ten months for manslaughter and wounding with intent in the High Court at Hamilton, a verdict that Williams’ sister, Regina Edminston, criticised as insufficient, expressing profound grief over her brother’s untimely death instead of celebrating his impending graduation.
According to a report in legacy media, Ecclestone had been living at the Community Living Trust, which supports adults with intellectual disabilities, though no support workers were present during the incident. The court heard earlier in the evening Ecclestone had been involved in another dispute over a communal kitchen issue, which escalated upon Pitcaithly’s confrontation.
We need the mad houses back.
Actually, just expand the beehive.
Four years? Is THAT all? Open up Tokonui again.
Seems our “justice” system has no regard for human life these days.
A tap on someone’s shoulder gets you an assault charge but nah murder someone and poor didims the guy has serious cognitive issues so let’s feel sorry for him? FFS. People like him are ticking time bombs. Lock them up permanently.
But…make a mistake on you taxes, or if you’re given the WRONG tax information and end-up in Tax Court, you’ll get 7-10 YEARS in the Klink!
Autistic persons (referred to as Neuro-Diverse’ these days…) need supervision most of the time in such a setting.
Many, if able, choose to live a solitary existence similar to the Hikikomori in Japan. That way there is no conflict with others, no high levels of anxiety, and no competition or arguing.
Those who are solitary are usually 85% unemployed or unemployable UNLESS they work from home using a computer, and have a properly-trained overseer to check on them 2-3 times a week to insure that they are OK.
The USAF has begun recruiting it’s Neuro-Diverse members for work in software coding.
And after 68 years have brought back the Warrant Officer Corps for that reason, to be filled with those who are ‘Neuro-Diverse’.
Microsoft employs the Autistics for their methodology of thinking, planning and executing both hardware and software programs.
BMW and Mercedes-Benz in Germany are employing those with Autism in their manufacturing and software processes.
Autistics are not a waste of space or personality, and are not usually violent UNLESS PROVOKED BY A BULLY OR A SYSTEM THAT DEMANDS DARWINISTIC BULLYING AS A FALSE TOOL OF ‘CHARACTER BUILDING’!!!
The ‘Neuro-Diverse’ do quite well when left alone and given respect. Piss them off and suffer the consequence, especially if they are trained in MMA!