80% want life to mean life, says survey... but SNP still won’t listen
TOUGHER jail sentences should be introduced to ensure that ‘life means life’ for the most serious criminals, victims of crime have demanded.
The SNP Government has refused to support ‘whole life custody’.
But 80 per cent of Scots responding to a Tory consultation backed the move. They include Dundee grandmother Linda McDonald, who was left for dead in a brutal attack by convicted murderer Robbie McIntosh while he was on leave from prison.
Their plight was raised by Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw at First Minister’s Questions yesterday.
However, Nicola Sturgeon refused to support the move and said highlighting individual cases was wrong.
Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr launched a consultation on a private member’s Bill earlier this year proposing that whole life sentences are introduced to ensure ‘the worst criminals are never released’.
In her response, Mrs McDonald said: ‘Whole life sentences give justice for victims and families who have suffered at the hands of these violent, sick, dangerous criminals. It gives reassurance the public are safe, gives us confidence life means the whole of their life and there is the acceptance that these dangerous criminals cannot be rehabilitated so stay behind bars.
‘These types of murderers should be held accountable and face the consequences.
‘Killers displaying such violence and sickening desires are too dangerous to be released, no matter how long they stay behind bars for punishment.
‘The risk of releasing them is too high a price to pay when they kill or try to kill again.
‘It is only fair that the voices of victims, families and the public are listened to. This Bill is putting things in place for law and order and what the public want. We need to have faith in our laws and a clear message to these dangerous criminals that they are held accountable and serve a whole life sentence.’
Another submission, from former police officer John Emley, said: ‘It is an affront to see serious offenders released to reoffend. For the good of society and to keep the law-abiding majority safe, the worst must never be released.’
An anonymous rape victim’s response read: ‘Rapists, paedophiles and murderers destroy lives. So long as families of people murdered or people who have been sexually assaulted know the person who ripped apart their life can be allowed to roam free, how do you think we can ever rest easily?’
The Tories say ‘whole life custody sentences’ should be introduced so those guilty of the most serious crimes are never released – whatever their age.
Mr Kerr’s consultation attracted 225 responses – with 180 either fully or partially supportive.
At Holyrood yesterday, Miss Sturgeon urged Mr Carlaw to ‘reflect very carefully’ on how he uses individual cases to make arguments.
She highlighted the case of World’s End murderer Angus Sinclair – who killed Edinburgh teenagers Christine Eadie and Helen Scott after a night out in Edinburgh in 1977 and was ordered to spend a minimum of 37 years behind bars at the age of 69 – as evidence that criminals can be forced to die in jail.
She said: ‘It is open to a court to impose on a person a sentence that would span their natural life, if the court considers that to be necessary and appropriate.’
But the Tories claim Sinclair died in HMP Glenochil ‘by accident rather than design’.
Mr Carlaw said: ‘The problem is that many people who should not be released are released. It is all very well to talk academically about risk management, but the Scottish public need a guarantee that, if the crime is serious enough, there will be no parole and no release.
‘That is what our proposal would deliver.’