The murder of Samuel Alexander - Serious Case Review.

[Fact Checker]

Mr Price said: "To Samuel it would have appeared that Mark was an obedient and dutiful son. But the Crown says that Mark was not able to properly challenge him in a mature, adult way over the control his father exercised over him."

With respect, the Crown would say that, that was the whole basis of their case, but it doesn't bear much scrutiny.

www.freemarkalexander.org/mistake-7
http://www.freemarkalexander.org/diary/#top17

My childhood may have been difficult and unconventional, but it made me who I am today, and I’m a stronger person for it. I’ve never felt like a victim of my circumstances, and I just don’t buy into the idea that traumatic experiences can only ever have a negative impact on people.

I look back upon my life at that time as a halcyon period. Things were going from strength to strength and I wanted for nothing. I’d come away from an amazing boarding school education with the highest mark in the country for ICT at A level, been head-hunted by IBM, worked at the Wimbledon Championships, and been nominated for the Excellence in Computing Awards. When King’s College London made me an offer to study law everything seemed to be falling into place. There’s no sense that dad was somehow ‘holding me back’. I had set up my own business a few years before my arrest, and my diary was being filled with invitations to deliver talks on entrepreneurship and innovation, attend parties and business functions. I was making new friends and enjoying student life, it was an exciting time. The reality is that I was already living the life I ‘wanted to lead’. Everything was already on track, why would I throw it all away?

[Nicholas]

Well this is a great news. We had no idea that we could rely on armchair enthusiasts to deliver diagnoses this way, it will save us a fortune on expert witnesses! So I guess the advantage of this is that you can label all the people you don't like (especially all those pesky prisoners) as psychopathic to explain away any problems you have with them. And that's okay, because you're being 'objective', and it's only your 'opinion', and if you change your mind you can always change your diagnosis. Awesome!

P.S. If it wasn't obvious, this is satire!

I once wrongly defended a murderer not dissimilar to Mark Alexander.

Not sure what you’rereferring to as “satire?”

[Daisy]

Okay, no problem. The following extracts are taken from a report commissioned by the prison's sentence planning board. The board referred Mark for therapy, where he was examined by a Mental Health Counsellor for more than 40 hours over the course of a year. The subject matter is clearly deeply personal to the family, and we would kindly ask that you treat it respectfully, with some thought for their feelings and privacy.

"Due to his father’s controlling nature his Mother left the family home, returning only for arranged visits agreed by Sami. When I asked Mark how he felt when his Mother left, he said it was like losing a friend and a playmate… From a transactional perspective, the relationship between Mark and his Mother was that of a child. With Mark’s Mother being 29 years Sami’s junior and the distribution of control being all Sami’s, his Mother would regress to child. This regression formed a unique relationship between Mark and his Mother which was particularly powerful after either person had been physically or psychologically abused. In safety they would connect and support one another, creating a comforting childlike bond. Fear played a significant part in his Mother’s regression, as with Mark, isolated from her close family and friends her only companion was Mark. In a childlike state she was unable to stand up to Sami taking away her protective parental responsibilities, leaving her only to comfort him and encourage freedom of play when Sami was not there. In contrast, Mark would become ‘parent’ when comforting his Mother after abusive behaviours towards her which for a young child was a big responsibility. Both feared Sami to such an extent that they became submissive, adapting their behaviour to please him, the reward being non-abusive behaviours towards them both...

Mark described his Mother’s absence from his home like losing a friend and playmate, again reinforcing his Mother’s adapted childlike state. What is incredibly sad is that Mark had no one to share his loss with and I feel he disassociated from his true feelings at this time. As a young child Mark’s coping mechanism was to try and mirror that of his Father, as Mark had internalised the belief that what his Father said or expected was right. Mark’s sole focus became pleasing and appeasing his Father. With an isolated existence it was only natural that Mark would try and form a safe relationship with Sami, a primal protective instinct of self-preservation."

Stockholm Syndrome?

[Nicholas]

Well this is a great news. We had no idea that we could rely on armchair enthusiasts to deliver diagnoses this way, it will save us a fortune on expert witnesses! So I guess the advantage of this is that you can label all the people you don't like (especially all those pesky prisoners) as psychopathic to explain away any problems you have with them. And that's okay, because you're being 'objective', and it's only your 'opinion', and if you change your mind you can always change your diagnosis. Awesome!

P.S. If it wasn't obvious, this is satire!

Just to be clear; this has nothing whatsoever to do with liking or disliking people!

Mark Alexander was arrested for his fathers murder and subsequently found guilty. All the evidence I’ve seen to date points to his guilt!

He may not seem to you like someone who could murder his own father but that doesn’t mean those of us who’ve had first hand experience with these “charming” types don’t see through the facade. Because thats all it is.

Mark Alexander has manipulated you to do his bidding and you’ve bought into his story. You won’t be the first nor the last, sadly.

[Nicholas]

With respect, the Crown would say that, that was the whole basis of their case, but it doesn't bear much scrutiny.

www.freemarkalexander.org/mistake-7
http://www.freemarkalexander.org/diary/#top17

But it wasn’t the whole basis of the Crowns case

[Nicholas]

Okay, no problem. The following extracts are taken from a report commissioned by the prison's sentence planning board. The board referred Mark for therapy, where he was examined by a Mental Health Counsellor for more than 40 hours over the course of a year. The subject matter is clearly deeply personal to the family, and we would kindly ask that you treat it respectfully, with some thought for their feelings and privacy.

"Due to his father’s controlling nature his Mother left the family home, returning only for arranged visits agreed by Sami. When I asked Mark how he felt when his Mother left, he said it was like losing a friend and a playmate… From a transactional perspective, the relationship between Mark and his Mother was that of a child. With Mark’s Mother being 29 years Sami’s junior and the distribution of control being all Sami’s, his Mother would regress to child. This regression formed a unique relationship between Mark and his Mother which was particularly powerful after either person had been physically or psychologically abused. In safety they would connect and support one another, creating a comforting childlike bond. Fear played a significant part in his Mother’s regression, as with Mark, isolated from her close family and friends her only companion was Mark. In a childlike state she was unable to stand up to Sami taking away her protective parental responsibilities, leaving her only to comfort him and encourage freedom of play when Sami was not there. In contrast, Mark would become ‘parent’ when comforting his Mother after abusive behaviours towards her which for a young child was a big responsibility. Both feared Sami to such an extent that they became submissive, adapting their behaviour to please him, the reward being non-abusive behaviours towards them both...

Mark described his Mother’s absence from his home like losing a friend and playmate, again reinforcing his Mother’s adapted childlike state. What is incredibly sad is that Mark had no one to share his loss with and I feel he disassociated from his true feelings at this time. As a young child Mark’s coping mechanism was to try and mirror that of his Father, as Mark had internalised the belief that what his Father said or expected was right. Mark’s sole focus became pleasing and appeasing his Father. With an isolated existence it was only natural that Mark would try and form a safe relationship with Sami, a primal protective instinct of self-preservation."

Did the mental health counsellor examine Marks mother too?

[Fact Checker]

I once wrongly defended a murderer.

Nicholas, we know that you've had a bad experience in the past, but you mustn't allow this to cast a shadow over every other prisoner you come across protesting their innocence. What happened in the case you worked on was unique and tragic, but Simon is not representative of everyone else. You are tarnishing Mark with the same brush, and this is both unfair and irresponsible.

[Nicholas]

Nicholas, we know that you've had a bad experience in the past, but you mustn't allow this to cast a shadow over every other prisoner you come across protesting their innocence. What happened in the case you worked on was unique and tragic, but Stuart is not representative of everyone else. You are tarnishing Mark with the same brush, and this is both unfair and irresponsible.

  How is it unfair and irresponsible?

From my viewpoint and the wealth of knowledge Ive gained its’s both fair and responsible.

And for the record and to make it abundantly clear, you have no idea of my experience - just an opinion of what you think my experience was/is!

Btw who is Stuart? This suggests to me your knowledge of ‘my bad experience’ as you refer to it, is totally limited!

[Nicholas]

Nicholas, we know that you've had a bad experience in the past, but you mustn't allow this to cast a shadow over every other prisoner you come across protesting their innocence. What happened in the case you worked on was unique and tragic, but Stuart is not representative of everyone else. You are tarnishing Mark with the same brush, and this is both unfair and irresponsible.

Who else is in the frame for Sami’s murder?

The mystyerious individuals Mark has manufactured?

[Nicholas]

Nicholas, we know that you've had a bad experience in the past, but you mustn't allow this to cast a shadow over every other prisoner you come across protesting their innocence. What happened in the case you worked on was unique and tragic, but Stuart is not representative of everyone else. You are tarnishing Mark with the same brush, and this is both unfair and irresponsible.

I’d be interested to know what you learned from my bad experience? The same applies to the case I was once involved with.

[Angelo222]

I’d be interested to know what you learned from my bad experience? The same applies to the case I was once involved with.

Let's not stray from the topic thanx.

[Nicholas]

Let's not stray from the topic thanx.

I’m not interested in straying from the topic here but I do find it accutely hypocritical how some posters on this forum can make claim about “experts” in cases like this yet then make assumptive claims on what they perceive my experiences to have been and how it might affect my objectivity!

[Nicholas]

Stockholm Syndrome?

I fail to see Mark’s positive feelings towards his father nor have I witnessed Mark’s support of his father for his behaviour towards Mark (Or indeed his mother) and why his father behaved the way he did in the first place - How and why his Sami’s) alleged controlling and abusive behaviour started etc and what his back story is.

[Nicholas]

Stockholm Syndrome?

Do you not think it probable that the reason Mark excelled at such a young age was because he was/is without conscience therefore more able than those with a conscience?

[Fact Checker]

Who else is in the frame for Sami’s murder?

The investigation, and our understanding of Sami to date, seems to indicate three main possibilities:

1) A house-keeper or other employee who took advantage of the cover of anonymity they gained from Sami's benefit scam. Because Sami was returning claims with false employee names, they avoided having to register with the authorities, or being vetted. Receiving payment in cash, they could avoid declaring their earnings. They had easy access to the house and would have known the area well.

2) A direct or indirect victim of one of Sami's confidence tricks online.

3) A loan-shark Sami owed money to, or had defrauded. In other words, Sami's past caught up with him, there was a confrontation of some description, and something went wrong. There is also the possibility, given the very unusual and extreme manner of burial, that some kind of message was being sent out to those in criminal circles.

We believe whoever was responsible could not have acted alone.