Axel Rudakubana latest: Government considering 'unduly lenient' challenge to Southport murderer's sentence The government is considering whether to challenge the prison sentence handed to Southport killer Axel Rudakubana as being “unduly lenient”.
“The sentence must be not just lenient but unduly so, for example if the sentencing judge made a gross error or imposed a sentence outside the range of sentences reasonably available in the circumstances of the offence.".
Within minutes of the sentence being passed by Mr Justice Goose, Southport MP Patrick Hurley put in a request for a review of the punishment handed to Rudakubana.
Fifty two years is one of the longest minimum terms handed out in British criminal history, and Rudakubana was not eligible for a whole life term because he was 17 at the time of the offences.
The Attorney General's Office confirmed the referral under the unduly lenient sentence scheme, and has 28 days to decide whether to mount a full challenge.
