The case of Anthony Williams, convicted of the manslaughter of his wife Ruth and sentenced to just five years in prison, reminded me of the early days of Justice for Women – a feminist law reform campaign I co-founded in 1991.
Two days after domestic abuse victim Sara Thornton lost her appeal against her murder conviction for killing her violent husband, another defendant, Joseph McGrail, walked free from court. McGrail had kicked his wife Marion to death while she lay unconscious but was found guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter on the grounds of ‘provocation’. While listening to McGrail’s tales of woe, the judge sympathised and said, ‘This lady would have tried the patience of a saint.’
That was 30 years ago. Many men resorted to the defence of provocation as a way of complaining that the woman they had killed had nagged them or been unfaithful. And although the defence of provocation was abolished in 2010, similar paltry excuses are still successfully used.
Williams grabbed Ruth and began to strangle her after she told him to ‘Get over’ his concerns about Covid and financial issues.
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