Gemma Hayter was a disabled woman who was tortured and murdered by three people she considered her friends in
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in eastern Warwickshire, England, close to the River Avon. In the 2021 census its population was 78,125, making it the second-largest town in Warwickshire. It is the main settlement within the larger Borough of Rugby whi ...
, England on 8 August 2010. The case bears a resemblance to the
murder of Jennifer Daugherty
Jennifer Lee Daugherty (November 8, 1979 – February 11, 2010) was an American woman who was torture-murdered in Greensburg, Pennsylvania as an act of revenge in February 2010. Daugherty, who was mentally disabled, was tortured and murde ...
, a disabled woman who was tortured and murdered in a similar manner.
Kathy McAteer, the chairperson of a commission investigating the circumstances of the murder, was paraphrased by Harvey Day of
BBC Three
BBC Three is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes targeting 16 to 34-year-olds, covering all genres including animation, comedy, curre ...
as stating that the case was a "
mate crime
Mate crime is a form of crime in which a perpetrator befriends a vulnerable person with the intention of then exploiting the person financially, physically or sexually. "Mate" (British slang for 'friend') crime perpetrators take advantage of the is ...
".
Background
As a child, Hayter was found to be
autistic
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
.
Hayter was never formally diagnosed, but her family suspected she had a mental disability. At age 14, she began attending a school specifically for disabled students; this was the first time that such an institution had given her an enrollment space.
[ When she was an adult, an evaluator determined she was not autistic. Hayter had asked the local government for assistance with employment and her general welfare.][
Hayter, aged 27 at the time of her death, was severely beaten and tortured by Daniel Newstead, Newstead's girlfriend Chantelle Booth, and Joe Boyer.][ All five perpetrators originated from ]Rugby
Rugby may refer to:
Sport
* Rugby football in many forms:
** Rugby league: 13 players per side
*** Masters Rugby League
*** Mod league
*** Rugby league nines
*** Rugby league sevens
*** Touch (sport)
*** Wheelchair rugby league
** Rugby union: 1 ...
.[
]
Crime and punishment
The attack began the next day when Hayter visited Booth's residence. The perpetrators forced her to drink urine
Urine is a liquid by-product of metabolism in humans and in many other animals. Urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the urinary bladder. Urination results in urine being excretion, excreted from the body through the urethra.
Cel ...
, and threw her body against a radiator, breaking her nose.[ Hayter was also struck with a mop,][ and for a period of time, locked in a toilet.]bin liner
A bin bag, rubbish bag (British English), garbage bag, bin liner, trash bag (American English) or refuse sack is a disposable bag used to contain solid waste. Such bags are useful to line the insides of waste containers to prevent the insides ...
on her head, stomped on her body, and stabbed her in the back once. The group removed her clothes and attempted to ignite them.[ Hayter's body was found on 9 August 2010.][
Newstead, Booth, and Boyer were 20, 22, and 18 years old at the time of their sentencing to ]life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...
. Their minimum tariffs are respectively 20, 21, and 18 years.[ Edwards and Lynas received manslaughter convictions; both were 19 at the time of their sentencing. Their sentences were 15 and 13 years. The sentencing for all five occurred at ]Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...
.[ The ]BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
wrote that the sentences were "longer than expected".