26/01/2006

Teenagers win appeal over Aimee death

Three teenage girls who were convicted of the manslaughter of schoolgirl Aimee Wellock have had their convictions overturned by the Court of Appeal.

Aimee, 15, collapsed and later died after she was attacked by a group of teenagers near her home in Bradford in June last year. She had suffered from an undiagnosed heart condition.

Claire Carey, 18, and two other girls, aged 15 and 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were found guilty of her manslaughter and sentenced to two years in a young offenders institution.

However, the appeal court judges ruled that the injuries Aimee had suffered in the confrontation were slight and had not contributed to her death. The judges also ruled that the defendants had not intended to cause serious harm to the teenager.

However, the three defendants will still have to serve sentences for affray.

Aimee's parents, Alan and Jackie Wellock, said that they felt angry and "completely let down" by the ruling.

(KMcA/SP)

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