Data
In 1977, Jane Stafford engaged in a second common law relationship with Billy Stafford, commencing for five years until 1982. The couple lived with Jane’s son, Allen, from her first relationship, and soon had their own child, Darren (Sheehy, 2014, pg. 4). Throughout the five years of cohabitation, Billy Stafford possessed a sadistic behavior pattern known by the members of the community, by sexually and verbally abusing Jane, and indulging in drug and alcohol abuse. However, the night of March 1982, Jane Stafford took Billy’s shotgun and killed him in a non-confrontational homicide, while he was drunkenly asleep in his truck (Sheehy, 2014, pg. 4).
Allegations made against Jane Stafford were of first-degree murder. During judicial proceedings, …show more content…
Through a life course perspective, factors such as: environment, social, physical and psychological, will provide a rationale in regards to Jane Stafford killing her abuser, Billy Stafford, in the absence of an imminent threat and justifying her actions as self-defence (McCormick & Siegel, 2016, pg. 253)
Through the publishing of the book, Life with Billy, by Brian Vallée (1986), Jane Stafford experienced emotional and verbal abuse by her abusive father who would call her a whore and destroy her personal possessions (Vallée, 1986). Moreover, Jane Stafford’s abusive father was not restricted to her, but also towards her mother and siblings. Furthermore, Jane was frequently neglected by her teacher, and would often volunteer to clean the chalkboards and brushes as Jane liked the praise which came from doing a chore. However, despite her attempts to please the teacher, Jane would occasionally receive strappings, which ultimately made Jane to become withdrawn and quiet during schooling (Vallée, …show more content…
553).
Conclusion
Ultimately, this paper examines the underlying reasons to justify why battered women kill their abusers, and subsequently plea for self-defence, in the presence or absence of an imminent threat.
Through literature review, a battered woman who kills and pleas for self-defence can be justified as rational thinking, however, does not produce a self-defence verdict in the absence of an imminent threat; on the contrary, in the presence of an imminent threat, a self-defence verdict is rendered. However, through the analysis of the Jane Stafford case, in relation to the life course theory, it can be justified that external factors conceptualize a psychological imminent threat of fear, and thus provoke a battered woman to kill and justify her actions as a self-defence plea.
In accordance to the Canadian Criminal Code, the requirements of self-defence are dubious in nature. To what extent does a self-defence plea account for the psychological imminence of threat upon a battered woman, and disregards the physical imminence of
In 1977, Jane Stafford engaged in a second common law relationship with Billy Stafford, commencing for five years until 1982. The couple lived with Jane’s son, Allen, from her first relationship, and soon had their own child, Darren (Sheehy, 2014, pg. 4). Throughout the five years of cohabitation, Billy Stafford possessed a sadistic behavior pattern known by the members of the community, by sexually and verbally abusing Jane, and indulging in drug and alcohol abuse. However, the night of March 1982, Jane Stafford took Billy’s shotgun and killed him in a non-confrontational homicide, while he was drunkenly asleep in his truck (Sheehy, 2014, pg. 4).
Allegations made against Jane Stafford were of first-degree murder. During judicial proceedings, …show more content…
Through a life course perspective, factors such as: environment, social, physical and psychological, will provide a rationale in regards to Jane Stafford killing her abuser, Billy Stafford, in the absence of an imminent threat and justifying her actions as self-defence (McCormick & Siegel, 2016, pg. 253)
Through the publishing of the book, Life with Billy, by Brian Vallée (1986), Jane Stafford experienced emotional and verbal abuse by her abusive father who would call her a whore and destroy her personal possessions (Vallée, 1986). Moreover, Jane Stafford’s abusive father was not restricted to her, but also towards her mother and siblings. Furthermore, Jane was frequently neglected by her teacher, and would often volunteer to clean the chalkboards and brushes as Jane liked the praise which came from doing a chore. However, despite her attempts to please the teacher, Jane would occasionally receive strappings, which ultimately made Jane to become withdrawn and quiet during schooling (Vallée, …show more content…
553).
Conclusion
Ultimately, this paper examines the underlying reasons to justify why battered women kill their abusers, and subsequently plea for self-defence, in the presence or absence of an imminent threat.
Through literature review, a battered woman who kills and pleas for self-defence can be justified as rational thinking, however, does not produce a self-defence verdict in the absence of an imminent threat; on the contrary, in the presence of an imminent threat, a self-defence verdict is rendered. However, through the analysis of the Jane Stafford case, in relation to the life course theory, it can be justified that external factors conceptualize a psychological imminent threat of fear, and thus provoke a battered woman to kill and justify her actions as a self-defence plea.
In accordance to the Canadian Criminal Code, the requirements of self-defence are dubious in nature. To what extent does a self-defence plea account for the psychological imminence of threat upon a battered woman, and disregards the physical imminence of