The titanium leg
November 14th, 2009 at 4:44 pm by David FarrarThe Herald reports:
Double-murderer Graeme Burton received a free titanium artificial leg worth $10,000 from ACC to replace the right leg lost when he went on a lethal shooting rampage two years ago.
He’ll probably use it as a weapon to bash someone to death. How about a paper mache leg? He can walk on it, but not clobber too many people with it.
But a proposed law change before Parliament would rule out compensation for anyone injured while committing a crime with a maximum penalty of two years or more in jail.
Criminals would still receive emergency treatment to maintain life, and rehabilitation to “restore function”.
ACC Minister Nick Smith said that under the bill, a decision on whether someone like Burton would receive a taxpayer-funded prosthetic leg would still be made by doctors.
“Burton is an extreme example. It will be up to doctors in individual cases to determine where that boundary is,” said Dr Smith.
“My hope would be that cases like Burton would be consigned to history. There’s not a bone in my body with compassion for him.”
Let the man hop.
Related posts:
- Burton captured
- Burtons’s impeccable behaviour
- Dim-Post on Burton Parole
- You want fair, but not a soft touch
November 14th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
How about replacing it with a ball and chain ?
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I reckon for the safety of other inmates and prison staff they should whip his other leg off as well, and consign him permanently to a wheelchair. Or am I being too harsh?
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Should have been fried years ago.
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
I bet that dumb, inaccurate, lack of range time, victim of Howards money saving, cop is spewing himself now that he got the leg not the head. Still if he hadn’t been filled with PC shit he would have fired the finisher when he got closer.
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
This makes a mockery of the “no fault” nature of ACC. He went on a murderous rampage and lost a leg as a direct result of his murderous actions. He is the only one at fault in this instance. What I would like to know is who made the ACC claim? And why was a gold-plated titanium prosthetic leg the option selected, as opposed to a pair of crutches?
The Government are to be congratulated for proposing tightening up on the eligibility for claiming ACC whilst committing crime. I await the howls of outrage from the Opposition.
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
It’s not a good idea to make doctors responsible for the quality of life of dangerous criminals. We don’t need doctors receiving visits from associates not residing at her majesty’s pleasure with the aim of “questioning” why their associate didn’t receive adequate” treatment.
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
They could have cut his other leg off of course and given him a tray on wheels to perch on to get around the prison (as you see in Asia). Would have cut him down to size. Come in Peter Williams QC (waste of space)! Or as a lesser mortal—– F E Smith (Not QC yet).
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
The loss of this vicious killer’s leg may be the only good thing to have come out of the NZ police’s policy of using hollow-nose bullets, which cause devastating wounds.
A wooden peg leg, pirate style, would fit Burton’s character more than a modern prosthetic leg.
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
A prosthetic leg would be part of rehabilitation, so there is little doctors can do to argue against it. What Bothers me is that he was no shot in the chest/abdomen and head at the time. All that our trained marksmen got was his leg.
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Burton is an extreme example BUT we must not get on the slippery slope and only give medical treatment to those who DESERVE it. Where does it end.
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Burton is a problem but he is not *the* problem.
*The*problem is no fault welfarism chucked in through the back door and renamed ACC.
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
What a stupid thing to say ‘Burton is an extreme example BUT we must not get on the slippery slope and only give medical treatment to those who DESERVE it. Where does it end.’
It ends wanka-boy with those who NEED IT.
Jees. No education and no clues and no class.
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
The Government is not to blame. The PC misfits who are employed by ACC are to blame. They will spent $8 to try and save $0.99c and then give a hand out to arseholes like Burton.
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
The medical system is financially constrained. Already elderly are dying because the system can’t be bothered treating those who have little time left anyway.
So, lets start deciding on those who are fitting for procedures. We could start with removing free treatment from those with more than 50 criminal convictions – thats just a start, it can be fine tuned over time.
I don’t care what the human rights goons have to say. As far as I am concerned, a human should lose certain rights once they have more than 10 convictions. After all, victim rights count too.
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Crutches are too good for him Spider_pig. For less than a dollar, the problem of him (and the piece of S*%t he tried to kill just recently) could be removed for good.
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Why am I thinking about Robocop 2 when I read this story???
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
what a waste -He can only use it for an hour a day anyway- I hope they take it off him for the other 23hrs?
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
I think it’s fair that people who suffer injuries committing crimes are not served as well by the social systems we have in NZ. But I don’t think that should include denying them reasonable quality prosthetic limbs when they will improve quality of life. Burton on the other hand, I like to think he got the sporty titanium one because he is a big unit and the cost of replacing lesser quality limbs makes it economical to go large. Otherwise, it is a disgrace that he gets such a high quality prosthetic – Why ?
Vote:November 14th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Wow, I’ve never handed out so much good Karma before!
Vote:November 15th, 2009 at 8:12 am
$10,000 for burton’s leg plus the cost of her majesties hilton for the rest of his miserable existence. I just want to know how much Karl Kuchenbecher’s kids got????
Vote:November 15th, 2009 at 9:18 am
I was thinking the same, rightofattila. What did those kids get other than having theirs lives shattered and changed forever? What is the pc brigade doing for them? Can anyone answer that?
Vote:November 15th, 2009 at 9:22 am
Surely a simple ‘peg-leg’ like Captain Hook had would be cheaper? But I guess that is out as well becuase he could clobber a guard or other prisoner with that too. It is a pity the country doesn’t have a ‘Devils’ Island’ to send such characters to.
Vote:November 15th, 2009 at 10:02 am
How can doctors be the final arbiters? A finite amount of money is available to be spent after all
Vote:November 15th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Yup a simple peg leg would be cheaper. How about a Jaipur Foot and Knee combo for a cool $50 all up
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1934027_1934003_1933963,00.html
Vote:November 15th, 2009 at 11:21 am
I thought ACC waas for accidents – surely he got shot deliberately?
Vote:November 15th, 2009 at 11:58 am
ACC is beset with funding problems. The Burton case is just the tip of the iceburg.
Isn’t it time to revisit the ‘no fault’ bedrock that underpins a system that the country patently cannot afford?
Vote:November 15th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
As my wife’s condition continues to deteriorate at an ever-increasing pace and ACC have adopted the attitude that in order to make a claim for medical misadventure, *we* have to provide conclusive proof (ie: we have to pay all the costs in advance and rely on the public health system).
So, we wait and wait and wait for an MRI scan. She has now lost much of the power of speech and for most of the day has difficulty moving.
When she found that that prick Burton has received $10K for a leg he neither needs nor deserves — while she suffers the incredible torture of slowly losing touch with reality and control of her body due to the as-yet undiagnosed neurological problem she faces after what should have been relatively straight-forward surgery to repair broken bones in her arms — she was incredibly angry. And so was I.
My wife has given freely of her time and energy to help the community, she’s been a highly respected relief teacher who has helped countless kids. She’s never harmed a fly and is loved by all who know her.
She gets told to wait (and suffer) while Burton gets a fricken titanium leg?
I’m writing to the associate Minister for ACC (Pansy Wong) who has effectively ignored our pleas and asking her to explain why it is that someone with no regard for the lives of others and who has probably never paid a bean in ACC levies gets such preferential treatment.
Why is my wife (and countless others) forced to endure horrific pain and suffering at the hands of the ACC’s new “deny everything” attitude to cost-cutting, while murderous bastards get primo-treatment?
Can anyone explain that to me or my wife?
Vote:November 15th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
aardvark@3.24,
Vote:I too am one of those thrown on the scrap heap. Neck surgery that was covered by ACC has created another problem which should have had surgery at the same time. Now I can not work, am without compensation and have to wait for the public hospital service.
Pansy Wong and Nick Smith are a waste of time. Pansy made pathetic excuses and Nick Smith did not bother to reply.
Meanwhile ACC is busy suckholeing to social misfits. That maggot Burton is just the tip of the iceberg. Challenge ACC and all they do is stonewall you. Your case manager is not there to help, they are the rotweiller to isolate you from the decision makers.
Bet of luck
November 16th, 2009 at 9:02 am
I have a solution that costs 5 cents.
Vote:November 16th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
That’s very distressing aardvark.
Perhaps you should contact Mark Sainsbury. The contrast between your wife and Burton would make a powerful story, and could well speed her payment.
Vote:November 16th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
I’d be interested to see any info/stories on what types of prosthesis others who lose legs in actual accidents (e.g. motor vehicle accidents etc) get, in comparison to what Burton has received. Is a $10k titanium leg standard for everyone who loses a lower limb?
Vote:November 23rd, 2009 at 8:28 pm
This makes me sick. I look after Charlotte Cleverly-Bisman, a quadruple amputee meningicoccal survivour, who is 5 years old and has no arms or legs. The government will not pay for her to get proper legs, she has only just got her first set of prosthetics a few months ago, they are very unwieldy and uncomfortable and hurt her after a short time. If the government can pay for a mass murderer to get a new leg which he lost from his own doing, killing people in the process, surely they can pay for a little girl who hasn’t hurt anyone and will probably grow up to be a contributing member of society. She needs legs that will cost around $50,000 and her family do the best they can in fundraising but are still so far away from their total cost. This is ridiculous, a mass murderer should be jailed for life, and not be given a gift like that when others are struggling that deserve it a lot more.
Vote: