|
The whole life tariff came into force in 1983 when the British Home Secretary
began to set minimum terms that convicted murderers had to serve before
being considered for release on life licence. The intention of a whole life
tariff was for a prisoner to spend the whole of his or her life behind bars
without prospect of parole, although the prisoner could appeal to the High
Court or even the European Court of Human Rights to have the tariff reduced.
Successive Conservative and Labour Home Secretaries set whole life sentences
for the following convicted murderers (note this list is incomplete):
| Name |
Year |
Notes |
| John Straffen |
1950s |
Britain's longest
serving prisoner who was convicted of murdering two young pre-teen
girls in the 1950s. He escaped not long after his conviction and,
despite being recaptured within hours, he murdered another girl. Having
spent 50 years in custody, he is now in a mental hopsital |
| Ian Brady |
1966 |
murdering three
children (with his accomplice Myra Hindley) and confessing to two
more murders in 1986. Because the victim's bodies were buried in shallow
groves on Saddleworth Moor, Brady and Hindley were known as The Moors
Murderers. Since 1985 has been held in a mental hospital and although
the November 2002 law lord's ruling means he could be released this
year when his original 40-year tariff expires, Brady has made it clear
that he never wants to be released. |
| Myra Hindley |
1966 |
Ian Brady's accomplice.
Convicted of murdering two children and being an accessory to Ian
Brady in the murder of a third, as well as later admitting to murdering
two more children - one of whose bodies has never been found. Given
a 25-year minimum term by the trial judge, which was agreed on in
1982 by the Lord Chief Justice. Increased to 30 years in 1988 and
whole life in 1990. Later made three appeals against the whole life
tariff but all were rejected, and she died at the age of 60 in November
2002 just weeks before a law lord's ruling would probably have secured
her freedom. Myra Hindley's death started a debate as to whether it
is right to keep someone in prison until they die. |
| Harry Roberts: |
1966 |
shot dead three
policemen during a robbery. Has never been officially handed a whole-life
tariff and is currently in an open prison, but has now spent 38 years
behind bars and his chances of release are looking slim |
| Robert Maudsley |
1971 |
Has subsequently
killed three fellow prison inmates, including one he scalped. |
| Donald Neilson |
1976 |
shooting dead
three postmasters and a security guard as well as abducting a 17-year-old
heiress who was later found dead, because of his distinctive black
costume Neilson was nicknamed The Black Panther. The trial judge said
that Neilson should only be released from prison due to great age
or infirmity, and the Lord Chief Justice later set a 30-year minimum
sentence. This was later increased to whole life by the Home Secretary.
Under the November 2002 law lord's ruling, Neilson could still be
released from prison - in 2006 at the earliest. |
| Peter Sutcliffe |
1981 |
murdering 13
women and attacking 7 others across Yorkshire, hence his nickname
The Yorkshire Ripper. Was originally sentenced to a minimum of 30
years by his trial judge, but was later given a whole life tariff
by the government and is now in a high security mental hospital. Following
the November 2002 law lord's ruling, Sutcliffe could one day be released
from custody - possibly in 2011 when he turns 65, if the parole board
decides he no longer presents a risk to the public. |
| Dennis Nilsen |
1983 |
dismembering
and murdering 13 men at his flat in North London. Trial judge originally
reccommended a 25-year minimum sentence, but successive home secretaries
decided that Nilsen should never be released from prison. But the
November 2002 law lord's ruling means that Nilsen could still be released
from prison as early as 2008 (by which time he will be 63 years old)
if the parole board decides he is no longer a danger to the public. |
| Colin Ireland |
1993 |
The so-called
'Gay Slayer' who murdered five homosexual men in London during 1993,
primarily so he could become famous |
| Robert Black |
1994 |
A paedophile
who raped and killed three schoolgirls in the 1980s and is suspected
of other child murders. He was convicted in 1994, and the trial judge
recommended a minimum term of 35 years - which would make him ineligible
for release until 2029 and the age of 82. He was later given a whole
life tariff by the home secretary, although the November 2002 law
lord's ruling means that he could still receive early release. |
| Rosemary West |
1995 |
murder of 10
women and girls at her home in Gloucester, including two of her own
daughters. Husband Fred West committed suicide before he could go
on trial for a total of 12 murders. Police believe the Wests may have
murdered as many as 30 persons. West's trial judge (and the Lord Chief
Justice), had origianlly reccomended that she should serve a minimum
of 25 years, which would have made her elegible for release in 2019
at the age of 66. But she was later given a whole life tariff by Home
Secretary Jack Straw, who made the ruling in 1997. Following the November
2002 law lord's ruling, West could be released in 2019 if the parole
board decides she no longer presents a risk. |
| Harold Shipman |
2002 |
former GP who
was convicted of killing 15 of his patients at his surgery in Hyde,
Greater Manchester, in the 1990s, giving them lethal doses of morphine.
Shipman was convicted of the killings on 31st January 2000 and sentenced
to life imprisonment, the trial judge recommended that he should never
be released. Two years later the Home Secretary agreed. An official
inquiry in July 2002 concluded Shipman could have killed as many as
260 of his patients, making him Britain's worst serial killer. Shipman
hanged himself in his prison cell on 13th January 2004, the day before
what would have been his 58th birthday. |
| David Bieber: |
2004 |
Former US Marine
who shot dead Policeman Ian Broadhurst in December 2003, after being
stopped for driving a stolen car in Leeds. He was sentenced to life
imprisonment almost a year later, and the trial judge reccommended
that he should never be released. This was the first time that such
a reccommendation had been made since the power of tariff-setting
was moved from the hands of politicans to judges. |
In November 2002, new human rights legislation and a law
lords ruling stripped the Home Secretary of his powers to set tariffs
and the minimum length of a life sentence is now set by the trial judge,
although the Attorney General can appeal to the High Court for an unduly
lenient sentence to be increased. The move followed a successful legal
challenge by convicted double murderer Anthony Anderson, who was jailed
for life in 1987 and was told by the trial judge that he should serve
at least 15 years. But the Home Secretary later increased this to 20 years.
Anderson claimed that his human rights were being breached and the High
Court and European Court of Human Rights both agreed.
|