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| Man who killed three generations in Cwmbran fire has sentence increased | Man who killed three generations in Cwmbran fire has sentence increased |
| (25 days later) | |
| Steven Morris | |
| Tue 15 Oct 2013 12.11 BST | |
| First published on Tue 15 Oct 2013 12.11 BST | |
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| A violent drifter who murdered three generations of the same family, including his own ill baby daughter, by setting fire to their home has had his minimum jail term increased. | A violent drifter who murdered three generations of the same family, including his own ill baby daughter, by setting fire to their home has had his minimum jail term increased. |
| Carl Mills, an alcoholic, was jailed for life earlier this year and told he would serve at least 30 years before being considered for parole. | Carl Mills, an alcoholic, was jailed for life earlier this year and told he would serve at least 30 years before being considered for parole. |
| On Tuesday, the court of appeal in London increased the minimum term by five years. The lord chief justice, Lord Thomas, sitting with two other judges in London, ruled that the original tariff was unduly lenient. | On Tuesday, the court of appeal in London increased the minimum term by five years. The lord chief justice, Lord Thomas, sitting with two other judges in London, ruled that the original tariff was unduly lenient. |
| Mills, 29, killed his six-month-old daughter, Kimberley, her mother, Kayleigh Buckley, 17, and the child's grandmother, Kim Buckley, 46, who were all trapped in the family home in Cwmbran, south Wales. Kimberley, who was born deaf and blind, had arrived home from hospital for the first time on the day Mills struck. | Mills, 29, killed his six-month-old daughter, Kimberley, her mother, Kayleigh Buckley, 17, and the child's grandmother, Kim Buckley, 46, who were all trapped in the family home in Cwmbran, south Wales. Kimberley, who was born deaf and blind, had arrived home from hospital for the first time on the day Mills struck. |
| Speaking after the hearing, the solicitor general, Oliver Heald, who referred the sentence to the court of appeal for review, said: "It is hard to overstate the seriousness of this crime. Carl Mills murdered three generations of the same family, leaving a chasm of grief. | Speaking after the hearing, the solicitor general, Oliver Heald, who referred the sentence to the court of appeal for review, said: "It is hard to overstate the seriousness of this crime. Carl Mills murdered three generations of the same family, leaving a chasm of grief. |
| "I asked the court of appeal to look again at this sentence, as despite it being a life sentence with a term of 30 years minimum, the fact remains that Mills denied having set the fire and maintained that stance at trial. | "I asked the court of appeal to look again at this sentence, as despite it being a life sentence with a term of 30 years minimum, the fact remains that Mills denied having set the fire and maintained that stance at trial. |
| "I am thankful that the court of appeal has today increased his minimum term to 35 years and I can only hope this offers some degree of reassurance to the public." | "I am thankful that the court of appeal has today increased his minimum term to 35 years and I can only hope this offers some degree of reassurance to the public." |
| Mills started the inferno after becoming convinced that Kayleigh had been seeing other men, and because he was jealous that she was spending more time with the child than him. | Mills started the inferno after becoming convinced that Kayleigh had been seeing other men, and because he was jealous that she was spending more time with the child than him. |
| He was jailed for life at Newport crown court in the summer and told he would serve at least 30 years before being considered for parole. Mr Justice Wyn Williams said: "You must have known that once the fire had taken hold there would be virtually no chance of escape." He added: "There is no saying whether you will ever be released." There was applause in the public gallery as Mills was led away. | He was jailed for life at Newport crown court in the summer and told he would serve at least 30 years before being considered for parole. Mr Justice Wyn Williams said: "You must have known that once the fire had taken hold there would be virtually no chance of escape." He added: "There is no saying whether you will ever be released." There was applause in the public gallery as Mills was led away. |
| Kayleigh and her mother had been celebrating Kimberley's homecoming after she spent her first six months in hospital. When the fire took hold, neighbours desperately tried to help but the teenage mother refused to leave her baby to escape and could not bear to throw the child to safety. | Kayleigh and her mother had been celebrating Kimberley's homecoming after she spent her first six months in hospital. When the fire took hold, neighbours desperately tried to help but the teenage mother refused to leave her baby to escape and could not bear to throw the child to safety. |
| The jury heard that Mills "groomed" Kayleigh when she was just 15 after they met via Facebook. He moved into the family home but was living in a tent in the garden at the time of the murders, having fallen out with his girlfriend's mother. | The jury heard that Mills "groomed" Kayleigh when she was just 15 after they met via Facebook. He moved into the family home but was living in a tent in the garden at the time of the murders, having fallen out with his girlfriend's mother. |
| Mills was arrested in the back garden of the family home on the night of the fire. He showed no emotion but insisted he had nothing to do with the fire. | Mills was arrested in the back garden of the family home on the night of the fire. He showed no emotion but insisted he had nothing to do with the fire. |
| He claimed that he and Kayleigh were in love and planned to get married. But when police examined his mobile phones they discovered that he had made explicit threats to kill Kayleigh by burning the house down. | He claimed that he and Kayleigh were in love and planned to get married. But when police examined his mobile phones they discovered that he had made explicit threats to kill Kayleigh by burning the house down. |
| Crime | |
| Wales | |
| Sentencing | |
| Court of appeal | |
| news | |
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