Where is the justice?

WIDOW Pat Cager has hit out at the four-year sentence given to theman who killed her husband Tony, bosun of the pleasure cruiserBalmoral.

Robert Lock, DJ at Pat and Tony's 30th wedding anniversarycelebration on board the ship in Bristol, kicked Mr Cager violentlyin the head. He was jailed for four years and four months formanslaughter.

Lock, aged 38, of Knightstone House, Crow Lane, Henbury, had beendue to be tried for Mr Cager's murder.

But in a dramatic move at Bristol Crown Court yesterday, Lockadmitted manslaughter, along with assaults on members of Mr Cager'sfamily who had gone to help him.

Mrs Cager, who now lives in Plymouth, said: "He was lovely. He didnothing, absolutely nothing to deserve this. England has let himdown.

"He had 12 years in submarines. He nearly lost his life twice onhis submarine.

"He has worked hard all his life and this is how he has beenrepaid, and all that person has got is four years.

"Someone got that the other week for pinching a mobile phone.Whereis the justice in this country? Tony's not been shown any justice.

"I have lost a very loving husband, my children have lost a lovingfather and, as Gavin has pointed out, when he gets married anygrandchildren won't have a grandfather.

"Think, in four years that bloke can walk and I will still bewalking around without a husband. It is so unfair. He doesn't deserveto live, that swine."

She said her husband would be buried at sea and that, instead ofhaving flowers at his funeral, they had asked for donations to bemade towards a commemorative wheel on the Balmoral.

Bristol Crown Court was told that Lock, who has 32 previousconvictions stretching back to when he was 14, had been booked to bethe DJ for the wedding anniversary party for Mr Cager and his wifePat on board the Balmoral after advertising in the Yellow Pages.MarkEvans QC, prosecuting, said that initially the celebrations on boardthe ship, which was moored at Princes Wharf, next to Bristol'sIndustrial Museum, had gone well and Lock had been offered thepossibility of future work on board the ship.

But Lock then got into a drunken argument with his partner, CarolBurchill, and assaulted her.

He was ordered off the boat and attacked Mr Cager when he went tospeak to him and asked him to calm down.

Lock was standing on the quayside above the level of the boat andkicked Mr Cager so hard in the head he collapsed with bleeding to hisbrain and died shortly afterwards.

Mr Evans said: "His daughter Nicola Delap ran to his aid. Hekicked her to the head, rendering her unconscious for a fewseconds.Mr Cager's son Gavin Cager intervened and received a similarkick."

He added that Lock later bit a policeman as he was arrested in StNicholas Street.

Mr Justice Maurice Kay jailed Lock for four years for themanslaughter, four months consecutively for causing the policemanactual bodily harm and four months concurrently for assaulting MrCager's children.

Richard Smith QC, defending Lock, said he had shown remorse. Hesaid Lock had acted in the heat of the moment while very drunk.

Sentencing Lock, Mr Justice Kay said: "No sentence I pass canbring back Mr Cager and all sentences seem to the aggrieved,bereaved families to be inadequate."

Commander Tom Foden, the Balmoral's Clevedon agent, said he was"astounded" by the leniency of the sentence.

He said: "The man responsible for Tony's death appears to have gotoff lightly and I fully support the views of his family.

"We have lost one of the best bosuns we ever had through no faultof his own. Tony tried to intervene in unfortunate circumstances andthere was no call for what happened to him."