Michael Lamb Defence Speech.

Michael Lamb Defence Speech

Your Honour, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, as the Barrister representing Michael Lamb otherwise known to many here as Brother Sebastian, I am here today not to try and justify the crime in any way but to get Michael Lamb’s sentence reduced from life imprisonment to man-slaughter and to inform you of the circumstances in which Michael committed the crime.

Michael came from a loving stable home with very religious parents. Michael’s mother died when he was at five, leaving him to look after his father. Michael had a great love for and fear of God but his faith was challenged with the recent death of his father and he didn’t know either to stay or to leave the Brothers. Michael had just wanted to be like a father towards Owen. Michael was against Benedict’s bullyboy tactics who often beat the boys. On one occasion someone had write “Benny Dies O.K.” on one of the walls on the outside of the home. Benedict had beaten Owen for this because he said they were his initials O.K. Owen Kane. When Michael heard of this he ran straight to Benedict’s office. When Michael questioned Benedict about the incident Benedict replied with, “You know and I know that we could never find the real culprit. By now the boys know that the punishment has been meted out. Someone has got it in the neck. It may deter others from doing the like again for fear their mates get it.” Benedict probably knew Owen didn’t have any friends since he was the youngest. Now I ask you ladies and gentlemen of the jury does this sound like the kind of place you would like to have been living. You can see already that Owen’s life in the home wasn’t a very happy one and this is why Michael had gone away with Owen. With Michael, Owen wouldn’t have been beaten or called names. With Michael Owen was treated like his son, he would take Owen places, on boats and planes, buy him new clothes. Michael had a genuine desire to improve Owen’s life. I ask you ladies and gentlemen of the jury would you like to have stayed and been beaten and bullied and never be loved or to have gone away with someone who really loved you?

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Owen’s life before coming to the home had been terrible. His father would have come home from work and beat him with anything he could lay his hands on. Things he used were electrical cord and a bit of old leather he used to use to sharpen his razor on. His mother who sits here today probably isn’t saddened by her son’s death as she dumped him here in order that she might pursue her passion for other men. Owen at this early age was already a chain smoker and showed no prospects of coming out of this life style. If Owen had gone back to the slums of Dublin to live with his Mother he would probably have ended up having a life of crime living on the streets, drinking, stealing, taking drugs and dying young due to his epilepsy. His family certainly weren’t a good influence with two of his brothers in jail and one in the army and one in the navy, and his father having abandoned them. Even in the home Owen had no friends because he was the youngest. He was bullied and called “KANE THE STAIN” because he wet the bed. He was picked on by Benedict, who often abused the children for no reason, but Benedict isn’t on trial today, we’ll save that story for another day. I ask you ladies and gentlemen of the jury, what would you choose? To die young but to have been loved and been treated well or to live a life of crime and probably end up dying due to epilepsy.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury let me stress that I am not here today to try and excuse Michael of these crimes. Michael was wrong to take Owen away and was wrong to deprive Owen of life him but at the time Michael may not have been emotionally stable with the recent death of his father. He didn’t know what to do. To stay or to leave the Brothers. He didn’t have any adults with whom to discuss his problems and his fears. Witnesses have testified to have seen the two together and have said they looked happy together, like father and son. This was probably the happiest time of Owen’s life. Michael’s motives were good. He was giving life where there was no life, hope were there was no hope and a future were there had been no prospect of a future. I ask you ladies and gentlemen of the jury who do you think was going to suffer the most with Owens death? Certainly not his mother who had dumped him in the home and had tried to kill him herself in a search for a man. Not his father who beat him. Benedict, no, he despised children and he picked on Owen. He had said, “Those who say they love children don’t understand them. The only person who ever cared who ever loved Owen, Michael Lamb, he is the only person who ever cared. He is the only person who is suffering now as he sits here in this courtroom.

So ladies and gentlemen of the jury as you make you decision about Michael Lamb I want you to remember everything I’ve told you today and what would have happened if Owen had lived. It is all too easy to make decisions as you sit in this cosy courtroom but remember this is someone’s life you are going to change. Have compassion and change the sentence from first-degree murder to man-slaughter.