Today's appeal court decision disappointing -- Farnworth

VANCOUVER - New Democrat Public Safety Critic Mike Farnworth is disappointed at today's B.C. Court of Appeal decision to uphold the manslaughter convictions in the Surrey beating deaths of Mewa Singh Bains and Shingara Singh Thandi.
"It's disappointing that the court has upheld the manslaughter convictions in the senseless beating deaths of Mr. Bains and Mr. Thandi. It sends the wrong message to the perpetrators of such cowardly acts," said Farnworth,
the MLA for Port Coquitlam - Burke Mountain.

"Two unsuspecting elderly men were brutally beaten to death with baseball bats by two young men. It's hard to accept the court's decision these young men didn't know that death would result from their actions," said Farnworth.

Two young offenders were originally charged for second degree murder after the two elderly men were beaten to death with a baseball bat in a washroom at Surrey's Bear Creek Park. But the judge in the case said they couldn't be
convicted of murder, the more serious charge. Later, the crown appealed their manslaughter convictions, which were upheld this morning by the B.C. Court of Appeal.

"It's critical for the justice system that punishments are seen to fit the crime. But in this instance, that hasn't happened. Today, our thoughts are with the victims' families who have spent months drawing attention to the
severity of these horrible acts," said Farnworth.