CPS may appeal over killer's term

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Prosecutors may appeal against the minimum jail term of the 15-year-old killer of Joe Geeling, 11, whose body was dumped in a park.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is considering whether to pursue the case against Michael Hamer's sentence.

Hamer was given a life term for the murder of Joe in Gtr Manchester in March this year, but Mr Justice McCombe set his minimum tariff at 12 years.

Joe was beaten, repeatedly stabbed and dumped in a park in Bury.

The CPS said it would be discussing whether Hamer's tariff - the minimum term lifers must serve before being eligible for parole - was too lenient.

A spokeswoman said Joe's family had expressed concern over the killer's minimum term.

Joe was last seen making the short walk home from school

The CPS could ask the Attorney General to make a formal appeal against the tariff.

"We will be discussing this, together with the leading counsel on the case, over the next few days," the CPS said in a statement.

Hamer, who was 14 at the time of the attack, admitted murder at the start of his trial at Manchester Crown Court.

Hamer killed cystic fibrosis sufferer Joe, who rejected his sexual advances, and buried the boy under debris in a gulley in Whitehead Park.

As he imposed sentence on Monday the judge said doctors had found Hamer was suffering from an "adjustment disorder" at the time of the murder.

Sexual advance

He also said the killing itself was not thought of in advance but triggered by Joe's rejection of the defendant's sexual advance.

The court heard Hamer wrote Joe a letter - purportedly from the deputy head at his school - to lure him to his house.

He beat Joe repeatedly with a frying pan, before stabbing him 16 times puncturing his windpipe in two places and cutting a major artery.

Hamer then dragged Joe's body downstairs, put it in a wheelie bin and took it to Whitehead Park.