Notorious criminals will be 'forced' into dock for sentencing, Justice Secretary promises
Notorious criminals will be 'forced' into dock for sentencing, Justice Secretary promises
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Notorious criminals who dodge their sentencing hearings could be dragged into the dock using “reasonable force” with the power to make them attend enshrined in law, the Justice Secretary has said. A string of killers have refused to enter the dock to face justice in recent years, sparking pressure on politicians to change the law to tackle the issue.
Serial killer nurse Lucy Letby stayed in her cell as she was handed 13 life sentences for the murders and attempted murders of babies in her care. She missed the court hearing where parents of the babies read out heartbreaking statements about the lasting impact of her crimes.
Gangster Thomas Cashman refused to enter the courtroom when he was jailed for life for the gun murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool. And Jordan McSweeney sparked outrage when he too refused to come to court to be sentenced for the sexual assault and murder of law graduate Zara Aleena as she walked home in Ilford, east London.
Answering questions in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said a new law is being drafted to give judges the power to compel defendants to attend sentencing, and “reasonable force” can be used by dock officers. “By failing to attend their sentencing hearings, criminals add insult to injury and deny victims and their families a vital part of seeing justice done”, she told MPs.
