Family hits out at one-year term for west London trip death teenager

Jerald Netto, 62, was sent crashing face-first into the pavement when the 16-year-old swept his legs from under him in a 'reckless' and unprovoked attack
Jerald Netto with wife Ligi
John Dunne @jhdunne1 February 2024
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The family of a retired electrician who died after being tripped from behind on Thursday called for a change in the law after his teenage attacker was given just 12 months behind bars.

Jerald Netto, 62, was sent crashing face-first into the pavement when the 16-year-old swept his legs from under him in a “reckless” and unprovoked attack.

He was left motionless on the ground in Hanwell, west London, with blood pouring from his mouth and nose. He died in hospital after suffering a brain injury and cardiac arrest.

The teenager — now 17 and who cannot be named for legal reasons — was sentenced to one year in a young offenders’ institution, after which he would be subject to 12 months of supervision in the community.

Speaking from the family home in Southall, Mr Netto’s wife Ligi, 55, described the sentence as “unethical and cruel” and claimed there had been a miscarriage of justice.

She said: “He was a family man and he has been taken from us. I am devastated and disgusted. What’s one year in prison for taking a life? What type of person attacks an older man like that? It’s not enough. It’s so heartbreaking. My husband was killed for nothing.”

Shocking video footage showed the moment Mr Netto had his trousers pulled down before falling to the ground during the incident at 12.43am last March. The teenager was then seen stepping over Mr Netto and walking off.

CCTV footage of the moment in Hanwell when a 16-year-old tripped Jerald Netto, who suffered a brain injury

He admitted manslaughter and was sentenced at the Old Bailey.

Mrs Netto has begun an online petition calling for more stringent bail conditions for young offenders after the boy twice breached the conditions of his electronic tag, was recalled to court, but was “just returned home” each time.

She added: “The boy who robbed us of Jerald was not remorseful in the beginning. This is not justice, it’s a miscarriage of justice. The CCTV shows him pushing my husband. It’s clear he knew what he was doing.

"He is not named because of his age — that is also wrong. That law needs to change. He’s 16, he knows what is right and wrong.”

Mr Netto was the main carer for his mother. His daughter Jennifer, 31, said: “We feel the court was very dismissive of what happened — taking the view ‘it’s just a trip’ but from the CCTV everyone can see it was more violent than that.”

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