A woman has been jailed for eight weeks after vandalising the grave of a 22-year-old diabetic man and mocking his death three years after he suffered a hypo.
Simona Julius, 25, daubed paint on the headstone of Liam Scarman at Westerleigh Crematorium in Bristol in November and left a cruel note which read: ‘Ha ha ha Liam. Looks like diabetes won again. P***yhole bruv’.
After the incident made headlines last year, Bristol Magistrates Court heard she wrote further offensive messages to named family members in Christmas cards days before the third anniversary of Liam’s death.
Julius has never explained why she vandalised the grave and terrorised his family, causing a judge to call her actions ‘perplexing’ and ‘wicked’.
Liam’s family previously said that police were speaking to a potential suspect with links to a former love rival. However, it is understood that Avon and Somerset Constabulary has discounted that line of inquiry.
Simona Julius (left), 25, daubed paint on the headstone of Liam Scarman (right), 22, at Westerleigh Crematorium in Bristol in November and left a cruel note
Julius has never explained why she vandalised the grave, pictured in white paint
She left a cruel note which read: ‘Ha ha ha Liam. Looks like diabetes won again. P***yhole bruv’
Yesterday Julius was jailed for eight weeks after admitting criminal damage and two counts of malicious communications at an earlier hearing.
The vandal, of St George, Bristol, was also ordered to pay £500 compensation to the family and was handed a three-year restraining order.
Liam, who worked in insurance sales, died at his father’s house in Winterbourne Down, Gloucestershire, while living his brother Oliver and girlfriend.
In a personal statement to the court, Liam’s mother Sue Witt described how Julius’ crimes caused distress and ‘took over’ family members’ lives.
‘Losing a child is the worst possible grief you could imagine,’ she said. ‘It has consumed my life.
‘Having found out that somebody had damaged Liam’s grave just compounded all those emotions and undid the progress I had made in dealing with his death.
‘I think people are wondering what kind of person Liam was, how horrible a person he must have been for somebody to damage his grave the way they did, when in reality everybody who knew him loved him.
Yesterday Julius was jailed for eight weeks after admitting criminal damage and two counts of malicious communications at an earlier hearing. The vandal was also ordered to pay £500 compensation to the family and was handed a three-year restraining order
Liam, who worked in insurance sales, died at his father’s house in Winterbourne Down, Gloucestershire, while living his brother Oliver and girlfriend
‘I never knew him to do anything nasty or horrible to anybody. I don’t understand why she did it.’
Some of the notes were addressed to Liam’s father, plumber and heating engineer Trevor Scarman, 65, who said in his statement: ‘When I found out Liam’s headstone had been vandalised, I had a numb feeling that went through my body.
‘My initial reaction was why? Why had someone damaged it?
‘Why just Liam’s was targeted? How anyone can write such disgusting things about my son I just cannot believe.
‘The physical damage has been repaired but the emotional damage will take far longer to repair. It’s like someone is sticking a knife in and twisting it.
‘Our family are completely distraught. To commit an act of criminal damage like this along with vile notes addressed to me has left me feeling devastated.’
He previously said:’It’s not only losing your son – you’re also losing your best mate – it’s like someone is sticking a knife in you and twisting it.’
Investigating officer PC Kyle Maywood of the said: ‘I’m glad that we were able to identify the culprit and bring some relief to the family, but Julius has never answered the question of what motivated her to act as she did and cause such distress.
‘I hope the sentence will help Liam’s family to put this behind them so they are able to remember him as their much-loved son and brother and not Julius’ hateful actions.
‘I also hope the case gives other victims of disability hate crime the confidence to report incidents to us.’
PC Maywood added: ‘I would like to thank the members of the public who provided crucial information after seeing the appeals for information and calling in.’