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| Judges hearing whole-life term challenges | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Court of Appeal is hearing major challenges to whole-life terms given to some killers. | |
| Five leading judges are considering if jail without parole - currently reserved for "exceptionally" serious offences - is still legally possible. | |
| Last year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled such sentences had to be reviewed at some point. | Last year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled such sentences had to be reviewed at some point. |
| The sentencing of the two men who murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby has been postponed until after this appeal. | The sentencing of the two men who murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby has been postponed until after this appeal. |
| The Court of Appeal case involves two killers currently serving whole-life tariffs. | The Court of Appeal case involves two killers currently serving whole-life tariffs. |
| Lee Newell was already serving a life sentence for murder when he strangled a fellow inmate at Long Lartin Prison. | Lee Newell was already serving a life sentence for murder when he strangled a fellow inmate at Long Lartin Prison. |
| The second man, Matthew Thomas, murdered one woman before kidnapping and raping another - two months after being released from prison for another rape. | The second man, Matthew Thomas, murdered one woman before kidnapping and raping another - two months after being released from prison for another rape. |
| The judges will also hear a referral from the attorney general that a third killer, Ian McLoughlin, received an unduly lenient sentence after killing someone while on temporary release from prison, where he was already serving a sentence for murder. | The judges will also hear a referral from the attorney general that a third killer, Ian McLoughlin, received an unduly lenient sentence after killing someone while on temporary release from prison, where he was already serving a sentence for murder. |
| Controversial ruling | Controversial ruling |
| All three cases have come to the Court of Appeal because of a controversial ruling last year by the European Court of Human Rights. | All three cases have come to the Court of Appeal because of a controversial ruling last year by the European Court of Human Rights. |
| The Strasbourg court said that there should be some possibility of having a sentence reviewed - even if it occurs after many decades. | The Strasbourg court said that there should be some possibility of having a sentence reviewed - even if it occurs after many decades. |
| That decision prompted the judge dealing with McLoughlin to sentence him to 40 years, rather than a whole-life term. | That decision prompted the judge dealing with McLoughlin to sentence him to 40 years, rather than a whole-life term. |
| Trisha Bergan's son Jerome, 27, was stabbed and killed in 2002 by paranoid schizophrenic Aaron Oliver, who was later jailed for four-and-a-half years for manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. | Trisha Bergan's son Jerome, 27, was stabbed and killed in 2002 by paranoid schizophrenic Aaron Oliver, who was later jailed for four-and-a-half years for manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. |
| "Sentences are too light," she told BBC Breakfast. "We are victims too. What about our human rights?" | "Sentences are too light," she told BBC Breakfast. "We are victims too. What about our human rights?" |
| But prison law expert Simon Creighton told the programme: "All sentences have to have some ideal of hope." | But prison law expert Simon Creighton told the programme: "All sentences have to have some ideal of hope." |
| The outcome of the appeals could determine the future direction of sentencing for the most serious killers in England and Wales. | The outcome of the appeals could determine the future direction of sentencing for the most serious killers in England and Wales. |
| There are 52 prisoners serving whole-life terms, including Mark Bridger - convicted of the 2012 sexually-motivated murder of five-year-old April Jones in Powys. | There are 52 prisoners serving whole-life terms, including Mark Bridger - convicted of the 2012 sexually-motivated murder of five-year-old April Jones in Powys. |
| Judges can consider a whole-life term in exceptional cases - including those who kill a child for a sexual motive. | Judges can consider a whole-life term in exceptional cases - including those who kill a child for a sexual motive. |
| The judges' decision, which is expected at a later date, may have an impact on all 52 whole-life prisoners. | The judges' decision, which is expected at a later date, may have an impact on all 52 whole-life prisoners. |
| It could also affect the terms given to the two men who murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby, whose sentencing has been delayed until the Court of Appeal issues the new guidance. | It could also affect the terms given to the two men who murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby, whose sentencing has been delayed until the Court of Appeal issues the new guidance. |