The question is whether they are under British law or not. The local culture argument doesn't hold.

This has been tried often in Germany by defendents from immigrant minorities: In our culture it is right and not wrong when a brother kills his sister for having intercourse before marriage. That line of defense doesn't help. They should know the law. And the argument that some centuries ago people in what we now call Germany have done similar things also doesn't hold. Opinions change, culture does and laws.

150 years ago, when you killed your wife or her lover or both (but, of course, not when a wife killed a cheating husband, that was different) you got a suspended sentence in Germany or even less when you surprised them and acted in 'uncontrollable' rage. Today you'd get between 12 years and life for the same act. Morals and society have changed and people should get used to changes and they should know the laws that apply to them.

Wolfgang

Wolfgang