when is a stabbing not a murder?

When it's committed by a husband who's wife has nagged him. In today's Guardian, on pages 4-5, there's a double page spread on the terrible case of Mark Saunders, the barrister who, drunk and distressed and vulnerable, was shot dead by the police after a five-hour siege during which he fired his gun out of the window. The inquest jury ruled that he was lawfully killed, though it criticised the Met for their handling of the siege. 



OK, then on page 8, in the 'Courts' column there's an approximately 100-word PA report on the man who stabbed his partner of 30 years to death (once in the arm and twice in the chest). He was jailed for four years and eight months. It seems a very short sentence - but that's because it wasn't murder, but manslaughter. And why? Because he was provoked. His partner 'nagged' him. My outrage on reading this was somewhat undermined when I read that she had also broken his thumb and on several occasions laid into him with an ornamental poker, but nevertheless it seems to me that this case has too many echoes with numerous other cases. Husbands who are 'nagged' (that is always the word) can kill their wives. On the other hand, if wives are mistreated by their husbands, they can't get away with in the same way. Usually, men are stronger than women. If a woman wants to kill someone then they have to be premeditated about it. There are several accounts of severely abused women - like Sarah Thornfield in 1990 - who are convicted for murder, not manslaughter, precisely because their vulnerability means they have to be strategic and not simply lash out. 



And further, I'd like to know why the word 'nag' is never applied to men. We don't read about nagging husbands, Is it only women who nag? (Only reply to that if your answer's NO.)