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Archived Press Releases 2009 28th August 2009

POLICE WRONG TO NEGOTIATE WITH BAKER

(28th August 2009)

Criminals who hold inmates or Corrections Staff to ransom should not be negotiated with according to a Victims Advocacy Organisation.

George Baker murdered Liam Ashley in 2006 and yesterday took a fellow inmate hostage; the standoff was successfully brought to an end after police negotiated with Baker.

The Sensible Sentencing Trust, whose membership includes many Victims of serious violent crimes – including Liam Ashley’s family – believes there should be no negotiating with criminals in these circumstances.

Trust Spokesman Garth McVicar said while being a big supporter of the Police he believes that negotiating with the likes of George Baker sends all the wrong signals.

"Baker is well known for his contempt of authority and the Justice System, he wants to make a name for himself and once again by negotiating with him we have allowed him to hold society to ransom."

McVicar said. "Baker is a career criminal. He is evil, he has destroyed the Ashley family by murdering their son, but he has now achieved another win over the Ashley family and society itself."

"I feel very sorry for Liam's family, the criminal who murdered their son has returned to torment them further and haunt their lives yet again."

"Baker sees himself as some sort of rising star in the criminal world and by negotiating with him the Police have simply confirmed his grandiose ideas of himself."

"There were no safety concerns for prison staff or anybody else, so there were a number of ways this situation could have been brought to a conclusion."

"This was just George Baker, a criminal with 83 previous convictions including murder, home invasion, robbery of an elderly woman, threatening to kill, aggravated robbery and serious assault. Baker's hostage was a convicted sex offender."

"At the end of the day we need to ask ourselves if Baker had ended up killing himself or his hostage would they have been a loss to society?"

McVicar said the answer of course is a resounding – "NO".

Regards,

Garth McVicar
National Spokesperson,
Sensible Sentencing Trust.