New Tory MP Dehenna Davison gives emotional speech in the Commons about how her father was killed by a single punch when she was just 13 years old as she backs government plans for tougher sentences
- Dehenna Davison, 27, is the new Conservative MP for the Bishop Auckland seat
- She has spoken movingly about how her father was killed when she was 13
- Her father, Dominic, was killed by a single punch from a man who was drunk
A newly-elected Tory MP delivered an emotional speech in the House of Commons describing how her father was killed by a single punch when she was just 13 years old.
Dehenna Davison, who won the Bishop Auckland constituency for the Conservative Party at the election in December, detailed how her father, Dominic, was attacked by a man drunk and on drugs.
Speaking in the House of Commons she described the pain of learning her father’s killer was to be released after serving 18 months of his sentence.
She also spoke out about the ‘anger’ and ‘frustration’ which was felt by her nan after she saw the man for the first time after his release.
Ms Davison told MPs: ‘I still remember the day that my nan saw my dad’s killer for the very first time after being released after just 18 months.
‘The anger, frustration and sheer confusion that flashed across her face – especially when he raised a glass to her as we drove by, which was a real clincher.
‘This experience is shared by far too many, with victims feeling severely let down by the current automatic halfway release point.’
Ms Davison recalled sitting in court at the age of 14 and listening to proceedings in the case of her father’s killer.
‘If I thought I had nervous butterflies on Election Day, they were absolutely nothing compared with that,’ she said.
‘For victims and families who do hear a guilty verdict, the second hurdle is the delivery of a sentence.
‘When a sentence feels too lenient, it can leave a victim or family feeling lost and drifting, with justice not having been done and no real way to move on.’
Ms Davison said she supported a government move to increase sentencing as a deterrent for future offences.
Dehenna Davison, the Tory MP for Bishop Auckland, described in the House of Commons how her father was killed with a single punch when she was 13 years old
Ms Davison told the House: ‘I still remember the day that my nan saw my dad’s killer for the very first time after being released after just 18 months.’
‘The existing automatic halfway release gives a sense of leniency, which means that it does not necessarily act as a deterrent in the way that it should,’ she said.
Ms Davison’s father had been drinking with his cousin at a pub in Sheffield in 2007 when his attacker, Mark Bailey, intervened in an argument the pair had been having.
The court heard that when the attacker punched Mr Davison in the face, he collapsed, causing a fatal brain injury. Bailey was later jailed for manslaughter.
Ms Davison was speaking during a debate in the Commons on new regulations that will ensure violent offenders and convicted rapists spend longer in jail.
From April 1 those given sentences of seven years or more for serious crimes such as rape or causing grievous bodily harm with intent will have to serve two thirds of their sentences in jail, rather than half, before they can be released on licence.
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