Bermuda courts are being too soft on killers, said the mother of stabbing victim Jermaine `Red' Pitcher yesterday. And she said there is much more to her son's death than has yet to come to light.

Goldie O'Neil made the comments after Ryan Ball -- one of three men accused of killing her son -- received a sentence of 10 years for his death. The maximum sentence for manslaughter here is life in prison.

Mrs. O'Neil told The Royal Gazette she felt Ball should have received a sentence of at least 15 years.

"Well, he apologised to me and everything,'' she said. "But he needs to be punished for what he's done. There's too much murdering going on in Bermuda.

Why? Because people aren't getting long sentences which they should.'' Mrs. O'Neil said that without long sentences for killings, there is no deterrent to prevent future deaths from happening. "I'm thinking about other people coming up in the world today,'' she said.

"Some people murder and they get life. It's not going to bring back my son but that's the way I feel.'' Mrs. O'Neil said the people of Bermuda are getting fed up with light sentences for serious crimes and that she was disappointed her family members were not able to address the court as Ball's family did during the sentencing.

"His family only came down for his sake, not mine,'' she said.

Meanwhile, Mrs. O'Neil said her son has been lost in the entire process.

"What about my son. He wasn't perfect but he was good to me,'' she said. "He did things for me. It hurts. The only people who understand are the people in my family who knew him.'' But Mrs. O'Neil added that she has no anger toward Ball or his family.

"I have nothing against the family, but if you do wrong you have to pay for it. In this Island people aren't paying for it.

"I feel sorry for his family and for him also -- he said he's sorry and he didn't mean to do it. But this has taken my son away from me.''