Forgiveness? I’m willing to meet Black, says mother of 4th victim

Published on Friday 9 December 2011 12:08

THE parents of a murdered schoolgirl said justice had been done after the serial child killer who took their daughter’s life was told he would be jailed until he was at least 89.

Scot Robert Black, now 64, was told he must serve a minimum of 25 years for murdering nine-year-old Jennifer Cardy, who was snatched as she cycled to a friend’s house in Ballin-derry, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, in 1981.

The murderer, who has been convicted of killing four young girls and is being investigated over a fifth disappearance, is now serving at least 12 life sentences at Wakefield Prison, Yorkshire.

This includes the jail terms for murder and kidnapping handed down by Mr Justice Ronald Weatherup at Belfast Crown Court, which effectively added a further seven years to the date at which Black could be considered for release.

The former delivery driver from Falkirk abducted Jennifer while on a work trip to Northern Ireland and dumped her body in water close to the main Belfast-Dublin road near Hillsborough, Co Antrim, before catching a ferry home.

Mr Justice Weatherup, who earlier heard the killer’s own lawyer offer no plea for mercy, said Black had subjected the child to “unpardonable terror”.

Outside the court, Jennifer’s parents, Andy and Pat, said they were satisfied that, in real terms, Black would spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Mr Cardy said his family’s faith in God sustained them, adding: “It has been an emotional couple of hours. It has been a long, long journey. It has been 30 years of a journey.”

Of the sentence, he said: “We are very, very pleased. We think that justice has been done.

“We don’t think Robert Black will ever be out of jail again to assault wee girls. He will never be able to torture little girls.”

Mrs Cardy, who also has two sons – Philip and Mark – and a daughter, Victoria, said: “There is absolutely no bitterness.

“I have never been asked personally to forgive Robert Black.”

But Mrs Cardy, who was in a wheelchair after being injured in a recent car accident, added that if Black asked for forgiveness: “I would meet him face to face”.

Black was convicted of Jennifer’s murder in October following a six-week trial at Armagh Crown Court.

Yesterday’s hearing began with prosecution barrister Toby Hedworth, QC, arguing that Black should face a whole life term, given his other killings.

David Spens, QC, for the defence, told the judge: “This is one of those rare cases in which there is no mitigation and so I propose to say nothing in that regard.”

Around 40 killers including Moors Murderer Ian Brady and Rose West have formally been told they will never be released.

But the judge instead sentenced Black to a minimum of 25 years imprisonment.

Mr Justice Weatherup said: “You subjected a vulnerable child to unpardonable terror and took away her life. By the manner of that loss, you also wounded forever a family that treasured that child.

“It was a wicked deed.”

Black was found guilty in 1994 of three unsolved child murders in the 1980s – those of 11-year-old Susan Maxwell, from the Scottish Borders, five-year-old Caroline Hogg, from Edinburgh, and Sarah Harper, ten, from Morley, near Leeds.

Black’s reign of terror finally ended in 1990 when he was caught red-handed with a six-year-girl hooded, bound, gagged and stuffed in a sleeping bag in the back of his van in the Borders village of Stow.

He had sexually assaulted her moments earlier.

During his trial for Jennifer’s murder, Black did not betray a flicker of emotion, presenting an unwavering picture of cold indifference.

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