Killer Ruled Competent In Death Of Six-Year-Old
A youth that was convicted of murder in 2001 after killing a 6-year-old playmate has been ruled mentally competent for a hearing to determine whether he should go back to prison for life. This follows an admission by the defendant’s lawyers that he had faked being suicidal in order to get a lesser sentence through diminished responsibility.Lionel Tate, aged 18, was still on probation for murder when he was arrested on robbery charges. He then wrote and sent a letter to a judge claiming that he heard voices and that he was suicidal. This resulted in the judge postponing a hearing regarding probation violation, and a competency hearing was arranged instead.
However, it was later revealed by Tate’s lawyers that the letter had been written by another inmate, and that the inmate had also advised Tate on what to say and do in order to improve his chances with two court appointed psychologists.
The defendant had been given a life sentence without the chance of parole originally, but this was reversed on the grounds that he had not been mentally assessed. He then pleaded guilty to second degree murder with a sentence of just one year and probation. However, he was recently arrested again for armed robbery, and this resulted in a fresh hearing for the murder case.
Topic Added January 13th, 2006
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