Victims’ fury as crooks are sentenced in jail not court

‘Crucial element of justice’

CONVICTED criminals are being sentenced in prison rather than appearing in court to hear their punishment.

Offenders – including rapists and murderers – are avoiding appearing in front of victims or their families and instead being sentenced in a video link booth at their jail.

Critics have condemned the costcutting measure, claiming it is the latest example of ‘soft justice’ by putting the needs of the criminal before those of the victim.

Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Justice state that convicted criminals across England and Wales no longer have to step into the dock to receive their punishment from a judge.

Details of the measure, part of a modernisation programme designed to save millions of pounds, came to light after Harley Street psychotherapist Nicholas Gully, 47, was found guilty of raping a teenage boy at a leisure centre in Hove, East Sussex.

The boy was waiting for a lift home from his mother when he was approached by the ‘depraved predator’.

For the duration of his week-long trial at Hove Crown Court, Gully appeared in the dock.

But when he was sentenced to 17 years in prison earlier this month, he appeared by video link from his jail – even though he was being held on remand just six miles away.

The move caused outrage among friends of the victim who claimed it pandered to the convicted criminal.

One said: ‘We wanted to look him right in the eye as he was sentenced and answered for his dreadful crimes. Allowing him to be sentenced by video link in prison deprived us of a crucial element of justice.

‘It seems sentencing a defendant in prison is aimed at protecting them and making it easier for them rather than being in the interests of seeing justice done.’

Speaking before the sentencing, trial judge Christine Henson QC said the sentencing of defendants by prison video link was a new initiative and added: ‘I am sure we will see a lot more of it in the future.’

Liberal Democrat justice spokesman Jonathan Marks said: ‘ It is about doing justice in open court and in public – that’s very important and we mustn’t lose it.’

In June this year a murderer considered to be too dangerous to appear in court was sentenced over a live video link in Scotland – not the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice – for damaging his cell.

In the first case of its kind in Scotland, Adam Gallagher, 29, who is already serving a life term, was sentenced at Perth Prison rather than being transported the 1.8 miles to Perth Sheriff Court.

An MoJ source said: ‘Some of the families will feel that sentencing by video link does deprive them of justice as they cannot look the accused or defendant in the eyes.

‘However, sentencing by using a video link to the prison is only used on a case-by-case basis.’

The MoJ declined to comment on the concerns of victims and their families or whether any cases would be exempt from video link sentencing.

The spokesman added that a rolling programme of improvements was introduced in 2015 to install and upgrade video links across England and Wales.