No charges over Adam Johnson death

[Frank Drebin]

Possibly?

Whatever

 

[Statto]

Insane on a hockey forum there are so many people who think he should be charged.

I personally think it was close to the line of being criminal and I’m honestly still not sure. In my opinion it was incredibly reckless and I’m sure I’ve seen footage of a similar play (don’t have time to find it again). The play was a high risk of an unforeseen outcome. I’ve never seen a player do anything remotely close to what he didwhen initiating body contact.

I think the right decision was probably made. It was fairly pointed that they said there was no realistic prospect of a prosecution. In my experience living under UK law the inference is that it was a close that run thing as to whether to proceed with a prosecution. It’s a difficult one. However, I don’t think it’s a slam dunk in either direction as to what the right thing to do was. I think it was right that they took time to consider it even if it was so long.

Even though I do think it was reckless, I also 100% believe the consequences were unintentional. I also hope Petgrave gets all support he needs because he is healing will take a long time, if he ever heals.

 

[JackSlater]

Good, criminal charges would have been ridiculous. Obviously what happened was terrible but it was not outside of the risks associated with playing hockey. Petgrave's punishment should be hockey related, not a court case.

 

[nyr2k2]

The reasonable and logical conclusion to an awful accident.

Still feel terrible for Johnson's family and friends.

 

[SomeDude]

It is way more reckless to hit someone from behind, head first, into the boards and that happens on a nightly basis and nobody bats an eye.

This was a horrible accident that the investigators concluded as such.

RIP Adam Johnson.

 

[Shrimper]

Well I think I came to the correct conclusion without months of investigation. Again, the parents... their grief will flow over onto the lives of their remaining children, and further. It's the type of thing that drowns an entire family in depression, anger, sadness, forever.

Ah, so you know better than the CPS and Police?

 

[JimmyH]

You are making some pretty bold claims about how his family is processing this.

You are also assuming that punishing the player in question would prevent your assumed outcome.

Yes and yes maybe.

 

[JimmyH]

Ah, so you know better than the CPS and Police?

I know enough to know that they blew it on this one.

 

[BHD]

Even though I do think it was reckless, I also 100% believe the consequences were unintentional.

This is how I view his actions.

 

[NVious]

It is way more reckless to hit someone from behind, head first, into the boards and that happens on a nightly basis and nobody bats an eye.

This was a horrible accident that the investigators concluded as such.

RIP Adam Johnson.

It's objectively not as seen by the fact that nobody has died from those sorts of hits.

The reason it has never happened is because Hockey players are not stupid enough to do what Petgrave did.

He has a history of doing this:



And even his former coach said this:

"I think he could do it" - Matt Petgrave's former coach makes damning admission on Steelers defenceman

In a tragic incident that shook the ice hockey community, Sheffield Steelers defenseman Matt Petgrave has come under intense scrutiny following the death of Adam Johnson.

www.sportskeeda.com

Literally the definition of manslaughter

 

[NVious]

Anyone with a brain knew that this would be the outcome. And the correct one

*Anybody willing to ignore Petgrave's history of using his skates as weapons and being an extremely dirty player

 

[gary559]

So they were convinced he was playing hockey in that instance?

 

[Machinehead]

The article states that they're not pursuing charges because they don't think a conviction is realistic. That makes sense to me.

To prove manslaughter, you have to prove recklessness, which by the legal definition in the UK, means proving one of the following:

• That the defendant definitely foresaw the risk of their actions.
• That the risk of their actions was objectively present and obvious.

Furthermore, you would have to prove that these risks were non-occupational, i.e. would have been out of the ordinary for the inherent risks associated with playing hockey.

Good luck with that.

People can disagree but that's not really what the court of law is about. This would have been near-impossible to prove. It's probably better for the family to not drag it out any further. Nothing was bringing him back.

 

[bov]

Criminal charges would have been the dumbest thing imaginable. It took longer than necessary, but glad this guy didn't get completely screwed.

 

[NVious]

Criminal charges would have been the dumbest thing imaginable. It took longer than necessary, but glad this guy didn't get completely screwed.

Yeah it would've been a shame to see a guy who:
1.Has a history of using his skates as a weapon
2.Was an extremely dirty player
3.Killed somebody

Get screwed over, I'm glad life is fair and a saint like him didn't get punished.

 

[MoneyManny]

Well I think I came to the correct conclusion without months of investigation. Again, the parents... their grief will flow over onto the lives of their remaining children, and further. It's the type of thing that drowns an entire family in depression, anger, sadness, forever.

Yeah, so is having a child die for any reason. There isn't always a malignant villain to blame. Shit happens.

 

[FMichael]

So be it...But I still feel that kicking motion was rather unusual and exaggerated IMHO.

 

[Fatass]

It's objectively not as seen by the fact that nobody has died from those sorts of hits.

The reason it has never happened is because Hockey players are not stupid enough to do what Petgrave did.

He has a history of doing this:



And even his former coach said this:

"I think he could do it" - Matt Petgrave's former coach makes damning admission on Steelers defenceman

In a tragic incident that shook the ice hockey community, Sheffield Steelers defenseman Matt Petgrave has come under intense scrutiny following the death of Adam Johnson.

www.sportskeeda.com

Literally the definition of manslaughter

In the video posted is Petgrave the player in white?

 

[JimmyH]

In the video posted is Petgrave the player in white?

Negative. He's #26 in darks using the low end of his right leg to injure the opponent.

 

[Norwegianoiler]

Not surprised. Justice is a dead concept in much of the west.

But wild and unjustified generalisations are very much alive, I see.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Probably the right call. You’d need to prove he intended the outcome that came about, and that’s nearly impossible outside of a confession. What he did was reckless and had a terrible outcome, but there are plenty of other hockey plays that are reckless and have a terrible outcome that don’t get criminal cases built around them as well.

 

[Fatass]

Negative. He's #26 in darks using the low end of his right leg to injure the opponent.

The guy in white is the one with his skates flailing though. For sure the crown looked at Pegtave’s history (they investigated for many months) and didn’t find the evidence to support a trial. This video more so supports that skates can flail in dangerous ways from the guy in white. IMO it is exculpatory.

 

[WaitingForThatCab]

absurd

 

[gary559]

The article states that they're not pursuing charges because they don't think a conviction is realistic. That makes sense to me.

To prove manslaughter, you have to prove recklessness, which by the legal definition in the UK, means proving one of the following:

• That the defendant definitely foresaw the risk of their actions.
• That the risk of their actions was objectively present and obvious.

Furthermore, you would have to prove that these risks were non-occupational, i.e. would have been out of the ordinary for the inherent risks associated with playing hockey.

Good luck with that.

People can disagree but that's not really what the court of law is about. This would have been near-impossible to prove. It's probably better for the family to not drag it out any further. Nothing was bringing him back.

I think you are right but I absolutely hate this play, everyone knows skates are sharp. What he was doing was as stupid as running hurdles with two machetes in your hands, just dumb and dangerous.

 

[WaitingForThatCab]

next time I do a Tekken move during a hockey game and cut a guy's throat in the process, I'll be sure to start a gofundme and a huge pity party.