You know, when this grizzly affair involving the murder of Keith McCormack first hit the news, I wasn’t at all certain justice would be served. The accused, Eric Neil Smail, claimed self-defence, saying that it all became “too much” in his capacity as his best friend’s caregiver. One wonders how such a ghastly arrangement came to be in the first place.

Anyway, as it happens the jury did find him guilty of murder, and not manslaughter as he had so pitifully tried to plead. And today, he was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment.

It’s a sad story all round, really, but I’m glad that it sends a strong, albeit painfully obvious message: disabled people’s lives are valued just as much as those of non-disabled people. I think there was a real danger of establishing a second class of citizen, should this verdict and sentence not have been reached.

You can read the full article here.