Although a dispicable act I see no reason why the headline should mention that he is an ex soldier when it mentions nothing else about his military career that may link the army to his crime. Having recently retired from the Army I feel that the headline should read "son of poor parents....", "school drop out..." or similar as the army is one of the few organisations where behaviour like this is considered utterly abhorant and offers the training, education and motivation to young men with poor backgrounds who may otherwise end up like this young man.

Richard, Scotland

richard stark, Stirling,

I'm absolutely appalled. While the individuals involved are firmly responsible for their atrocious actions, I wonder what we need to heal in society such that incidents like this stop. The default action of passers-by, drunk or not, should be to aid somebody lying in the road, not to abuse them. Any ideas?

Nicholas Chapman, Saffron Walden, UK

maybe some nice big mean fellow will show him the same consideration while in prison. this sicko needs to be cut from the herd!!

stephen cimini, berkshire co., massachusetts

I'm absolutely disgusted and horrified by the cruelty and rawness in much of the crime here in the UK. What happened to common decency and humanity? The fact that parenting seems a lost skill probably doesn't help either.

I'll be sure to leave the country long before I decide to have children and I'll much rather pay my taxes to a society that's still civilised and where there's still hope!

Mariann, Scandinavian in Berkshire,

After reading this article, and the comments above, I've further strengthened my opinion on leaving this country as soon as I finish university. Reason 1 is the Big Brother effect of the past decase (worth writing a whole book on that). Reason 2 is the population being overrun by trash like this. And "trash" is the only word I can think of to describe him which is not an expletive..

Prakhar, London, UK

Why does the headline describe the attacker as a former soldier and not as a drunken pothead?

Oliver McCarthy, London, UK

What a disgusting story. The poor woman and her poor family. What kind of person treats another in such an unforgivable manner? I can only hope that an inmate takes it upon themselves to teach him a lesson whilst inside. I don't know how his friends can live with themselves. Hopefully karma will see to it that what goes around comes around. They're filth. May the victim now rest in peace - bless her.

Mrs S., London,

This man has brought shame to our country. It is cases like this that make me want to leave Britain permanently.

Damien, London,

So much for the discipilne that the army is meant to instill in its personnel.This story is as much heartbreaking as it is disgusting.

Tony., Liverpool.,

Not long enough for this pathetic, disgusting excuse for a human being.

And were the other two not prosecuted?

Outraging public decency? THEY LET HER DIE. They degraded her while she lay dying in the street. And one of them gets three years - which will surely be shortened - for this. .

This is truly saddening. Not only for the way these men treated her but the fact that she was bullied for her disability throughout her life.

Fay, London,

Absolutely correct, he desreves the 3 year sentence for totally degrading another human being in the last hour of her life.

But what of that other case where a thug attacked the 96 year old man on the bus and blinded him. It was caught on camera but the thug got a suspended sentence.

Does that mean if you degrade someone you go to jail but for serious physical harm you dont or does it mean that our courts need to learn that prison for crimes like this, are the only option.

To get respect for the law from yobs, they have to believe that they will be put away for the crime, everytime. Build more jails if needed, for once I would not mind a tax increase for that.

Phil, canvey island, england

I just cant believe something like this actually happened, and three years? What a disgrace, it should be a lot more...and his friends?? What of them? three years is nothing, its an undergraduate degree...which ive just finished and that felt like nothing! There's not enough words to express how disgusted I am by this

Sukhjinder Singh, Leicester, UK

It is time for the Lords to take a serious look at reality and accept that our outdated laws are not conducive to the application of justice in the 21st century.
Current sentencing and non custodial offender management are a complete farsical mess.
My heart aches for what Christine has suffered through her life to be tormented by such a vile act during her last moments and I can not begin to imagine how the grief of her family has been exacerbated by it all.
For every law in this god forsaken country there is a pathetic defence or excuse which an offender can avail themselves of based on the lies of other criminals successful in convincing juries of their innocence. (Stated Cases)
The judge in this case has, yet again, set another example of the inherrent weakness of our courts and justice system by passing a 3 year sentence (1 year) A punishment which so clearly does not fit the crime. Life would have been more appropriate, we can do without evil like him on our streets?

Shelly, South Shields, Tyne and Wear

He deserves at least 10 years of prison and for the rest of the people that were there,1 year.You will burn in hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

todopor, gilbert, maricopa county/arizona

Another headline today says "Humanity's very survival is at risk." After reading this, one almost thinks the cataclysm can't come soon enough. It's yet another tragic example of an issue which no politician dare address: the existence of an underclass so lacking in morals, empathy and intelligence that they practically represent another species. Perhaps, as another contributor has suggested, eugenics is the answer.

J Harris, Brighton, UK

I am glad this guy is going to prison, to humilate and degrade people who are suffering is the ultimately act of a coward. People that have to pick on the weak are sick.
Karen Parker USA

I also feel bad for the victims father and the woman did not deserve this, no one deserves this kind of treatment at all, I hope he spends an extended period of time in prison.

Karen Parker, cambridge, MA USA

What about the other people there? They should be prosecuted!

Drinking and smoking cannabis does not make you do something like this. You have to be predisposed to such cruelty to even consider doing this. He is a more serious offender in the making.

He should be added to the sex offenders list.

Angus, London,

I like Mr Howells, live in Brazil and although as he states there is a terrible crime rate here, I have never heard of crimes where people kick the disabled, or torture children etc just for the fun of it, most of the crimes here are poverty related, and the Brazilian people on the whole very warm and caring towards the needy and sick.
As an ex-pat I am really quite shocked at what was once Great Britain is turning into.

Victoria, sao paulo, Brazil

Mr. Anderson deserves more than a three year prison term. His behavior is beyond words....

Todd , Miami, Florida, USA

i can't believe that someone who was meant to be fighting for our country could degrade such a person in need and actually think it's something to laugh and joke about!! Am not sticking up for the bloke but the three years he got i just hope that the people he's locked up with now what he's actually in for and the time he will do out of the three years (18 month) will be hard for him as that poor woman will have to live with another degrading chapter in her life! It's shocking and my heart goes out to the woman !!!!

sam, liverpool,

It is all to do with priorities. His respect for his peer group was greater than that for his neighbour, his need to impress was paramount.
Soldiers are trained to have less regard for others. That is how they manage to kill men, women and children that they don't know for really flimsy reasons, e.g. WOMD.
He won't feel so big when he 'picks the soap up' for the thirtieth time...

Philip Bale, Colchester, Essex

Well. I guess his girlfriend is going to find herself a man and he will make love to her. As for that guy, he has no character.

Blunt Person , Some City, Canada

Three questions:

1) Would the judge have given a 3 year sentence if Miss Lakinski had not died;
2) Did Anderson know Miss Lakinski was dying / dead;
3) How does this sentence / crime compare to other crimes and subsequent punishments where the criminal is responsible for the death / injury of the victim?

Stewart, Harrogate,

let us hope the boys in c block with anderson give him a nice warm welcome ! I feel relieved that the judge gave him three years instead of the usual social worker to hold his hand .Hope he rots.

Tom, london,

"one day this man may need help and compassion from a fellow human being, lets hope he gets what he deserves."

--Sara lee, west sussex, uk

I agree, if he should ever find himself in a situation where
the compassion of another, would make all the difference, I hope he gets it. Why? - imagine how lowly a human being you must feel, when what you denied another was givien to you
willingly and with spirit of caring compassion. I would think that life experience would be earth-shattering to someone whose life came to be dependant on anothers mercy.

Attila the Buddha, London,

I thought soldiers were taught to be cold and uncaring - they wouldn't be able to do their 'job' if they had much bog-standard compassion and empathy.

Unfortunately, this bloke showed the results of his training here in Britland, not over there with all the Johnny Foreigners who, no doubt, deserved it...

Abu Hartlepool?

tommy, london, uk

This used to be a civilised country. What has happened to us?

Martin Evans, Newmarket, Suffolk

I wonder what the maximum sentence was available for such a crime? Either way 3 years is not enough and we will look after him and make sure his 12 - 18 months in prison is as comfortable as possible. If we don't then will will infringe his human rights and all the do-gooders will complain on his behalf! Why can't part of the sentence include restriction on certain privilidges whilt he is locked up? As a minimum, make him clean the prison toilets....!

PHIL, LONDON,

I this had happend not so long ago, there would have been no court case, this man would have been put in an institution for the insane never to be heard of again.
Sadly many people were placed in institutions wrongly back then, but in this case I think it would be appropriate.

Irene, Liverpool,

to be bland and short, I agree with the other comments that say he is disgusting, inhumane and not a clear conscience to what he was doing. I want to add that he was a SOLDIER, a man to serve the country and protect it's civilians in more ways than an invading force (if there was to be one) I mean, for gods sake! he was a soldier! does anyone understand at what I'm trying to get at?? he was 'supposed' to be a man to tell apart who is in need and who the real enemy is! not to the least say kill his own people! they were even neighbours!

I hope he rots in jail.

Wai Yip Chan, Northampton,

My family and I spent this summer in a small Gloustershire town. Foolishly we went for a stroll round the centre of town on a warm summer evening, The public drunkeness and threatening, violent behaviour by throngs of young people was truly frightening for me and truly traumatizing for my kids. Never again did we walk in the town after 6 pm. I was of the impression that the UK is being taken over these gangs of Yobs. This is a utterly horrific story, but, sad to say not suprising. May this poor woman rest in peace.

David, Vancouver, Canada

Three years is not long enough, what has come of human kind that this sort of thing can happen.....makes me sick to my stomach.

Dan, Dorking,

I can truthfully say that reading this horrendous story has made my stomach turn - I really feel like retching. I cannot believe any human can treat another human in this way. The fact that this poor lady was disabled makes it doubly dreadful. I do not know how this thug will be able to live with his conscience but on second thoughts to have done what he did he obviously does not have one in the first place.
People like him do not deserve to be on this planet. I feel 3 years is not enough and totally agree with the other comments that the other thugs who looked on and did nothing should be in jail alongside him. What on earth is this world coming to - I despair I really do.

Jenny , Northiam, East Sussex

I can't understant why the other two aren't starting prison sentences too. In other areas like child porn and old-fashioned theft, sentencing concentrates on stopping the trade just as much as punishing the frontline offenders. Here the evil bastards who watched and filmed this woman's degradation - even if they didn't know se was dying - have "outraged public decency" almost as much as Anderson. They deserve at least a year if Anderson gets three.

Michael, London,

I hope that Mr Anderson's parents feel suitably responsible and extremely ashamed as well, that kind of attitude towards people with learning difficulties and physical disabilities is not present in young children - they learn it from their family and this foul society. I hope the victim did not suffer too much and was oblivious to the humiliation she suffered at the hands of this useless creature. Her poor poor family, my thoughts are with you. My husband is a prison officer and hopes he will meet this character in the course of his job...........

claire, york, uk

This story reaches new depths but is nontheless on par for what is going on in that I call "the unhappy Isles" these days. The last time I was in Britain, I saw a society divided between a large morally and mentally challenged underclass consisting of the likes of Whitehead and a wealthy minority which seeks to live as far as possible in an ivory tower.
The obvious malicious reaction to this story, considering this was carried out by an ex-soldier, is "wouldn't have been a bad thing if the IRA had got him years back". A more rational and considered reaction is that British society has reached a point of degradation and imbicility which is now beyond democracy to cure. A vast underclass now swamps the country and the solution is beyond education or even severe punishment-the solution consists in a radical eugenics programme to ensure that a future generation consist of better quality material than rifraff like Whitehead.

Michael Walker, Cologne,

So much for the idea that a spell in the army would turn these low life yobo's into decent citizens he's ex army!

david wilde, derby, uk

As a father who has a child with disability, I SINCERELY hope that I am there on Your dying bed.

Omar, Dhaka, Bangladesh

this story is so disturbing i would go so far as to say it is traumatising. i feel sick after reading it and am literally moved to tears. these men need serious help, but government resources being what they are, will probably never get it. so next best alternative would be life in prison if i had my way...

Chris Wood, Manchester,

I hope this guy gets the 'favour' returned while he's in prison, so he can get to see and feel what he did first hand.

3 years is barely long enough. Just hope it's a really hard 3 years (or the 1 year that he will actually serve)

Disgusting.

David, St Albans, UK

I think the main problem with this country is the lenient jail sentences. You can actually get away with murder in this country. 3 years? 3 years is absolutely nothing. He stole the last few minutes of this womens dignity just for a 'youtube moment', I can't believe i have to walk the streets with people like this.
The fact that he has no compassion what so ever for a dying women, shows the lack of respect he has for other humans and i'm sure once he leaves prision...no doubt in 18 months..he will not have changed and will probabaly go on to commit other horrible offences.
This man is a pathetic excuse for a human being.

Amy, Belfast,

This i absolutly disgusting act, i cannot believe that anyone can be so vile and three years is certainly not a long enough sentance. The people who stood by and watched this happen should also be punished as they are as bad as him, how anyone could have found this anything other than sickening, let alone have actually found it funny, is beyond me. People often talk about putting delinquents into the army to teach them respect but ths shows some people are eyond redemption.

Joseph, County Durham,

The Christine Lakinski case sickened me. What is happening to Britain? It seems to be turning into a sick, sick country. After reading this story I don't think I want to set foot in the UK again.

Bennett Matthews, Edmonton AB, Canada

Popular opinion used to be that a spell in the army would sort out the yob culture infesting this sorry shadow of a once great country. However if this is what a spell in the army produces then God help us. I would have given him 30 years!

Ron, Bedford, U.K.

My most sincere condolences, similarly, to Christine's family. This is a quite shocking indictment of today's society. Hoping that Mr Anderson serve a good portion of his sentence and reflect upon his actions during his incarceration. Though that's probably expecting far too much.

Peter Koeb, Geneva, Switzerland

The British public generally support and foster well-being wihin their communities. These actions defy belief the family comments say it all. Those present are just as guilty an should be punished too.

Where is the law as in other counties where it is an offence to ignore the pleight of those in distress?

Where was the community for this victim? Surely the whole street wasn't high on sherry and cannabis. sadly perhaps so...

Nick Barnes, Cardiff, south Glamorgan

This follows the story about the mother and daughter who died in their car following long-term abuse of the latter. Is Britain worth living in any more?

I live in one of the most violent countries in the world, but at least Brazil accepts that it has a problem with violence and is trying to do something about it, even if the methods are often as brutal as the crimes. One sees no effective remedies to conventional crime or social bullying being developed in Britain, which has all the economic and administrative potential to create them.

The British police, specifically, are more concerned with image, public relations and political correctness than with arresting criminals and deterring crime.

Graham Howells, Brasilia, Brazil

After reading this very sad occurrence, I felt compelled to write my personal comment. My sincere condolences to Christine's father.

Shame, shame on Anthony Anderson, Scott Clement and Simon Whitehead. Heaven forbid if Mr. Anderson, Mr. Clement and/or Mr. Whitehead have a child in the future who is mentally and/or physically challenged.

For Mr. Whitehead to record this disgusting event is just as pathetic as the event itself. There were many levels of appalling cruelty that happened that day and all those present who witnessed this without stopping it are just as guilty as if they had recorded it or did those things that Mr. Anderson carried out. Then to turn your backs and walk away. How do you sleep at night?

This woman's last moments on this earth were horrifying in itself as she had apparently suffered pancreatic failure. My hope is that she did not realize the other disgraces that were being brought upon her by those who are supposed to know better.

Susan, Sacramento, CA, United States

Those who believe a compulsory spell in the Army will somehow solve the growing problem of today's undisciplined and disrespecful youth will only have to look at this case to realise that the answer is not that simple. The monster who did this is an ex soldier.

a. cambra, birmingham,

one day this man may need help and compassion from a fellow human being, lets hope he gets what he deserves.

Sara lee, west sussex, uk

Absolutely shocking !
Can't believe he actually did something as horrible as that...
Only 3 years ?!?! Please, he needs to get a lot more than that...

Francisco, London,

I doubt that I have read a more shocking & degrading story.

One that leaves no doubt as to the cesspit levels of anti-social behaviour that the UK has sunk into. With the weekend now upon us again I await the usual media stories of drunken, violent (stabbings anyone?) & disrespectful behaviour that now blight our lifes.

Keith , London,