Criminals to be forced to attend sentencing under new powers
Judges in England and Wales will have the power to compel serious offenders to attend their sentencing hearing under the UK Government’s proposed new legislation. The announcement comes just nine days after serial baby killer Lucy Letby refused to attend her sentencing at Manchester Crown Court, and one year after the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel. Olivia’s mother Cheryl Korbel has been a key campaigner for this new legislation since Olivia’s killer Thomas Cashman refused to enter the dock to hear his life sentence and the impact of his crimes on the victim’s family. Under the Ministry of Justice’s new proposals custody officers would have the power to use “reasonable force” to ensure those awaiting sentencing appear in the dock or by video link. Those convicted could face an extra two years in prison if they ignore the judge’s order. Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Transcript
00:00 Convicted criminals could soon be forced to attend their sentencing in court under new proposals from the Ministry of Justice.
00:08 It comes just nine days after serial baby killer Lucy Letby refused to attend her sentencing at Manchester Crown Court.
00:16 Under the planned legislation, judges would be given the power to compel a serious offender to attend their sentencing hearing,
00:24 in person or by video link, or else face an extra two years in prison.
00:29 Like many, I was appalled that people who have committed awful crimes somehow are able to take the coward's way out
00:37 and not appear in court for their sentencing and to hear the impact that their crimes have had on the victims' families.
00:44 A key campaigner for this new legislation is Cheryl Corbell, the mother of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Corbell,
00:51 who was murdered by Thomas Cashman in August last year.
00:55 In April, Cashman refused to enter the dock to hear his life sentence and the impact of his crimes on the victims' family.
01:03 Ms Corbell met Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street ahead of today's announcement.
01:09 The offender, right through the trial, it's all about them. It's them having the power.
01:18 So when it comes to the day of sentencing, it's the family's turn, the family's turn to have that power.
01:28 There have been a number of recent high-profile criminal cases which have seen serious offenders refuse to attend court,
01:36 including the killers of Zahra Alina and Sabina Nasser.
01:40 Hashim Abedi, the brother of the 2017 Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi, also avoided hearing his life sentence for his role in planning the attack.
01:51 This is an express power for the judge to order that individual's attendance, point one.
01:56 And point two, an express power for those PECS officers, those prison officers, to compel that individual to attend court.
02:04 So that makes it crystal clear that they can use reasonable force with a sanction of an additional two years, if appropriate.
02:11 Labour says it would back the proposed law change.
02:14 Well, I wish the government had done this long ago. Again, this is something Labour has called for.
02:20 And if the government had taken action, it would have meant that in the Lucy Letby case, those powers would already have been in place.
02:28 They should have done this. We want to see it in place. They've just been too slow.
02:32 Which means the reforms could be passed into law before too long.
02:36 Google.
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