Heartbreaking..Ellie Butler's death at the hands of her father.

Can't read it.
He must have serious mental problems to be able to hurt his own child.

Despicable excuse of a man...hope he rots.

Hope he gets a slow painful end

How badly was this poor little girl let down by those who were meant to protect her.
Nothing can bring her back and the only hope is he gets his just reward in prison.

Only 23 year jail sentence.

Surely he wont be allowed to live for 23 years.

Lets hope the prison warders "accidentally" leave his cell door open.

a story like that numbs you to humanity

Always had strong views about capital punishment - I don't believe a civilised nation should put its own citizens to death - but the option should be available to the judge to add an extra layer of punishment in cases such as these. For those of us without the necessary depths of evil and callousness to kill our own children, it is all but impossible to understand how a man, or indeed a woman, could do such a thing. I believe that this monster's punishment should include some kind of hard labour element. No period of incarceration can do justice to what he has done.

Yes it is a sorry tale

I did notice about three weeks a women killed one child and tortured her two others....I saw no post on this forum?
Of course one could have blamed that woman's partner...another woman.

I hate parents who do bad things to their own children...but I would like to see a little more equality between the sexes here.
If women do it they are just as guilty.

the judge Mary Hogg sounds like a disgusting piece of excrement

Judges are required to carry out the law, that is all. I assume this is the punishment for the crime.

In conclusion the judge wrote: “It is seldom that I see a ‘happy end’ in public law proceedings. It is a joy for me to oversee the return of a child to her parents.”

In an emotional outburst in court, Ellie's grandfather Neal Gray is said to have warned her: "You will have blood on your hands."


this stupidity is what alot of decent hardworking social workers are up against. some stupid idiotic filth parading herself as a judge of all displaying the brain capacity of a turnip. makes me sick

The judge who handed her back to these evil bstrds retired 7  months before her official date and a few days before this trial started.

In March 2009, Ben Butler, who had a series of convictions for violent offences, was convicted and jailed for causing grevious bodiy harm to his daughter, a ruling which was quashed at the Court of Appeal by Hogg. Less than a year after his release, Butler went on to kill his six year old daughter Ellie. Ellie's school, Avenue Primary, had concerns about her welfare prior to her death but were unable to involve local authority social services as Hogg had ordered that social services should no longer be involved with the family

what a coincidence eh nice pension to retire on

UNbeFKNbelievable.

Racingqueen  • June 21, 2016 2:13 PM BST 


In conclusion the judge wrote: “It is seldom that I see a ‘happy end’ in public law proceedings. It is a joy for me to oversee the return of a child to her parents.”

In an emotional outburst in court, Ellie's grandfather Neal Gray is said to have warned her: "You will have blood on your hands."


this stupidity is what alot of decent hardworking social workers are up against. some stupid idiotic filth parading herself as a judge of all displaying the brain capacity of a turnip. makes me sick

apologies for my post earlier, it was a bad error of judgement

I note the mother was also jailed for 42 months, the lesser of the two, but still guilty.

I have no complaint over todays sentences

They will both be sorted

My friend works in a pre-school in Stockport

She reported a child ( 3 years old) to social services as they had found cigarette burns on her skull and she was malnourished.

Both the parents were heroin addicts

The child was taken into care and blossomed over the next 6 months

The parents then applied successfully to court for the return of the child and were giving it the large one when they dropped the girl off at preschool

Seemed that they convinced the judge to return the child as they were now "only doing heroin at weekends" (patently not true)

The cycle of abuse started up again, my friend reported it again, parents turned up with a syringe and threatened to stab her with it.

Parents were given a warning by the Police and the child remains with them

You can't make this stuff up.

I hope so 11kv but unfortunately Hogg will slip into oblivion along with her pension.
She took the cowards way out with her early retirement but no matter she knows she has blood on her hands.
Hope it tortures her.

Lessons will be learned.

Akabula it was a poor decision in hindsight

One can only judge her on the original trial, was her decision right or wrong at the time?

It has had the worst possible result of course, but judges are not infallible, they cannot see the future.

I will look at the original trial if I can find it before I could comment myself.

Nowadays people think everything has an easy answer, it has not, but I can well understand

yours and racing queens anger akabula, it is a human reaction.

Her granddad had no doubts it was the wrong decision.

That is very sad akabula...he was right.

If this judge has resigned because she feels she made a wrong decision, she has at least acted honourably.

Which is more than I can say in the case of Baby P.
Somebody on a 6 figure salary in charge of department denies any responsibility, even though she was paid to take it.
She had to pushed and then sued and won compensation. That is the worst things I have ever seen myself.

I have to look at the original case to judge this one myself
It also shows the law is not always right, which is why I argue cases.

This is a terrible result, the worst I acknowledge that

social workers did not want her to go back to her parents. judge knew better...