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Family anger at sentence as Hinds found guilty of Nicola Furlong murder

American musician receives maximum 10 year jail time for the murder of Irish student in Tokyo

PATRICK COUNIHAN,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, March 19, 2013, 7:50 AM

Updated Tuesday, March 19, 2013, 9:03 AM

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Murdered in Tokyo - 21-year-old Wexford student Nicola Furlong

Photo by Google Images

Teenage American musician Richard Hinds has been found guilty of the murder of Irish student Nicola Furlong in Tokyo.

But her family have reacted angrily to the maximum 10 year sentence handed down by a Japanese court.

Her mother Angela cried during the long explanation for sentencing.

Outside the court she said: “This decision is a travesty. It’s not enough, given the pain he caused Nicola.

“We’re not leaving here believing we have justice. We still don’t know the truth of what happened in that hotel room.”

Nicola’s sister Andrea said: “I am disgusted by the sentencing. I just want to leave Japan, go home and never return.”

The Irish Times reports that the Tokyo District Court sentenced the 19-year-old Hinds to a maximum of 10 years for strangling the Wexford girl.

The nine strong panel of judges called the murder last May 24th ‘atrocious and vicious in nature’.
They described Hinds’ account of what happened as ‘not credible’.

Lead judge Masaharu Ashizawa delivered a verdict of ‘not less than five and no more than 10 years with labour’.

The Judge said: “The defendant has continually given irrational explanations in his defence that have dishonoured the victim.”

The report says the sentence was the maximum allowed under Japanese law because Hinds is a minor.

The Judge added: “The tendency of sentencing in juvenile crimes means we cannot choose the death penalty or life sentence.”

Hinds did not react when the verdict was read out but turned to smile and acknowledge his family as he walked out of the court.

The official court verdict said: “The defendant knew that what he was doing was highly dangerous and could lead to death. He also knew what the results of his actions would be. It can be concluded that he intended to kill the victim.”

The Irish Times report says Hinds will likely serve out his time in a Japanese prison, working in a small factory for about 5,000 yen ($60) a month and he could be released in five years with good behavior.

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MarybethC.P. | Mar 21, 2013, 10:26 AM EDT

As one who has worked in the field of music for 26 years professionally, and avocationally well before that, I must agree heartily with the writer here, "An Seabhach", in his assessment of rap "music". Most of it is vile, barbaric, and definitely demeans all societies whose cultures employ it. In the States, it is often politically-incorrect to say this if you are white. But black leaders, such as C. Dolores Tucker from Philadelphia, had worked hard and appeared before Congress to change the violence that is urged in the lyrics of rap music, because she witnessed the harm it did in her own black community. Her life was threatened wickedly and publicly by rappers, and even Philadelphia police were murdered through the urgings in a song. I cannot believe this "genre" has lasted all these years. Really sad for a whole generation of people who might have been inspired by the melodies and lyrics of songs from an earlier time, like those that cherish women from The Stylistics, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, and all the great stuff from the Gamble and Huff discography known as The Sound of Philadelphia.

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an seabhach | Mar 20, 2013, 08:54 AM EDT

The hatred of women and celebration of violence against them is the meat and potatoes of rap. The principle of free speech gives legal protection to this expression of an American criminal subculture. Young peoplle constantly exposed to it become tolerant, then partial, to its values. Occasionally they act on them. The naive young women thought that they were being liberated by attending one of these barbaric concerts. Their experiences are a warning to every parent. For the rest of us, have the courage to protest its intrusion into our lives.

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PhlutiePhan | Mar 19, 2013, 04:03 PM EDT

Sure, it was a lousy sentence and the family was shortchanged. However as someone who served on board a Navy ship homeported out of Italy, you go by the laws of the nation within which you templorarily abide. The girls, as sad as it is, were visiting a foreign country and they freely chose to do so. Japanese laws are strange and 19 is not a minor. However, 5-10 at hard labor will really do Hinds in. In addition, he was connected to Nicki Minaj and part of her entourage as a dancer. That was downplayed. "Hip hop" is violent and detrimental to a sane society. Just think what it is doing to American society.

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Canadian | Mar 19, 2013, 12:43 PM EDT

If I remember correctly, a person's age in Japan is calculated from conception, not birth. I wonder if this tips the balance.

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IrelandNorth | Mar 19, 2013, 11:20 AM EDT

The age of majority in Ireland and the US is 18 yrs old. The accused is 19 yrs old. The age of majority in Japan is 20 yrs old. And the age of the victim was 21 yrs old. Given that the crime was commited by an American citizen in Japan against an Irish citizen, he should have been considered an ave 20 yrs old. The Japanese did worse to enemy belligerants during WWII for less! The punishment for psychopathic sexuality should be chemical castration/ enforced vasectomy. And [c]rap culture should be censored.

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