Murder of Michael Causer
Encyclopedia
Michael Causer was a gay
teenager living in Liverpool
, England
, who came to national attention in the United Kingdom
when he was seriously assaulted because of his sexual orientation in the early hours on the morning of 25 July 2008 after a small house party.
He later died in the Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery after undergoing extensive emergency surgery to his brain. He was 18 years old at the time of his death.
Michael's funeral was held on 2 October 2008 in a local church in Whiston
where he lived.
Two teenage men, James O'Connor and Gavin Alker, were charged with the murder. A third man, Michael Binsteed, 19, tried to cover up the attack by helping dump Causer's body in the street and lied to police claiming he'd been the victim of an attack by others. He pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice. Christopher Douglas was charged with witness intimidation in relation to the case.
According to evidence put before the jury, the trigger-point for the violence came when sexually explicit images of the trainee hairdresser were found on his mobile phone, prompting a sustained and brutal attack on Michael leaving him with a fractured skull and a swollen brain.
It was alleged that Alker, who had never met Causer, screamed 'You little queer faggot' and 'He’s a little queer, he deserves it'. During the trial, it was also claimed that Alker used a cigarette lighter to burn the hair on Mr Causer’s legs, and that threats were made to rip out his body piercings with a knife.
Alker pleaded not guilty, claiming he had acted in self-defence, and blaming the attack on O'Connor. Alker was acquitted of murder and manslaughter. James O'Connor was convicted and sentenced to serve life with a minimum of 11 and a half years before he can be considered for parole after pleading guilty to murder. Michael Binsteed was convicted and sentenced to 34 weeks in custody, suspended for two years.
A memorial fund was established, initially to support Michael's family with funeral and legal expenses. Due to the generosity of the response to this fund, it developed into the Michael Causer Foundation, whose aim is to provide supported accommodation for vulerable LGBT young people in the north West of England. It became a UK registered charity in July 2011.
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
teenager living in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, who came to national attention in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
when he was seriously assaulted because of his sexual orientation in the early hours on the morning of 25 July 2008 after a small house party.
He later died in the Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery after undergoing extensive emergency surgery to his brain. He was 18 years old at the time of his death.
Michael's funeral was held on 2 October 2008 in a local church in Whiston
Whiston, Merseyside
Whiston is a large village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley on Merseyside, England. At the 2001 Census the population was recorded as 13,629...
where he lived.
Two teenage men, James O'Connor and Gavin Alker, were charged with the murder. A third man, Michael Binsteed, 19, tried to cover up the attack by helping dump Causer's body in the street and lied to police claiming he'd been the victim of an attack by others. He pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice. Christopher Douglas was charged with witness intimidation in relation to the case.
According to evidence put before the jury, the trigger-point for the violence came when sexually explicit images of the trainee hairdresser were found on his mobile phone, prompting a sustained and brutal attack on Michael leaving him with a fractured skull and a swollen brain.
It was alleged that Alker, who had never met Causer, screamed 'You little queer faggot' and 'He’s a little queer, he deserves it'. During the trial, it was also claimed that Alker used a cigarette lighter to burn the hair on Mr Causer’s legs, and that threats were made to rip out his body piercings with a knife.
Alker pleaded not guilty, claiming he had acted in self-defence, and blaming the attack on O'Connor. Alker was acquitted of murder and manslaughter. James O'Connor was convicted and sentenced to serve life with a minimum of 11 and a half years before he can be considered for parole after pleading guilty to murder. Michael Binsteed was convicted and sentenced to 34 weeks in custody, suspended for two years.
A memorial fund was established, initially to support Michael's family with funeral and legal expenses. Due to the generosity of the response to this fund, it developed into the Michael Causer Foundation, whose aim is to provide supported accommodation for vulerable LGBT young people in the north West of England. It became a UK registered charity in July 2011.