Post by Taxigirl on Nov 23, 2004 9:54:56 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/4033671.stm
A Ukrainian man has been jailed for 13 years for the murder of a football fan from Wolverhampton who was at the Euro 2004 tournament in Portugal.
Vadym Abramov was sentenced at the Lisbon Criminal Court for the murder of 28-year-old Stephen Smith in June.
Mr Smith, from Low Hill, was pronounced dead on arrival at Sao Jose Hospital after he was stabbed in the heart near Rossio Square in Lisbon.
Mr Smith's family said they were "devastated" by the "lenient sentence".
Abramov was arrested near Rossio Square soon after the killing.
Mr Smith's father John, 53, said the family feared the killer could be released after serving little more than half the 13-year sentence for the unprovoked attack.
He said: "I am really offended by the leniency.
"I feel my son's life is worth more than 13 years - possibly six years with time off for good behaviour.
"My son didn't deserve to die and he certainly didn't deserve to find that the guy that stabbed him through the heart in a totally callous and cold-blooded way should walk away in maybe six or seven years."
Fundraising drive
The victim's mother Diane Smith said: "If this man had got a 25-year sentence it wouldn't have been enough but at least justice would have been served as much as it could have been."
After his release Abramov will be expelled from Portugal and will be prevented from returning for a minimum of 10 years.
The presiding judge at the hearing wanted to impose a 22-year sentence but he was overruled by his two colleagues.
West Midlands Police said after the killing that the offence was not football-related and the attack happened during a robbery.
A fundraising drive launched by the Smith family in their son's memory has so far raised £17,000 towards a £21,000 incubator for Wolverhampton New Cross Hospital's neo-natal unit.
A Ukrainian man has been jailed for 13 years for the murder of a football fan from Wolverhampton who was at the Euro 2004 tournament in Portugal.
Vadym Abramov was sentenced at the Lisbon Criminal Court for the murder of 28-year-old Stephen Smith in June.
Mr Smith, from Low Hill, was pronounced dead on arrival at Sao Jose Hospital after he was stabbed in the heart near Rossio Square in Lisbon.
Mr Smith's family said they were "devastated" by the "lenient sentence".
Abramov was arrested near Rossio Square soon after the killing.
Mr Smith's father John, 53, said the family feared the killer could be released after serving little more than half the 13-year sentence for the unprovoked attack.
He said: "I am really offended by the leniency.
"I feel my son's life is worth more than 13 years - possibly six years with time off for good behaviour.
"My son didn't deserve to die and he certainly didn't deserve to find that the guy that stabbed him through the heart in a totally callous and cold-blooded way should walk away in maybe six or seven years."
Fundraising drive
The victim's mother Diane Smith said: "If this man had got a 25-year sentence it wouldn't have been enough but at least justice would have been served as much as it could have been."
After his release Abramov will be expelled from Portugal and will be prevented from returning for a minimum of 10 years.
The presiding judge at the hearing wanted to impose a 22-year sentence but he was overruled by his two colleagues.
West Midlands Police said after the killing that the offence was not football-related and the attack happened during a robbery.
A fundraising drive launched by the Smith family in their son's memory has so far raised £17,000 towards a £21,000 incubator for Wolverhampton New Cross Hospital's neo-natal unit.