Haul criminals into court for sentencing, says Raab

CONVICTED criminals could be physically forced to appear in court for sentencing under plans being considered by Dominic Raab.

The Justice Secretary wants to impose longer sentences on criminals who compound the trauma of victims by refusing to appear in court.

He has not, however, ruled out the possibility that prison and police officers may have to use force to bring offenders from their cells in order to ensure that justice is seen to be done.

The move emerged after Mr Raab, the Deputy Prime Minister, met the family of law graduate Zara Aleena, who was murdered by Jordan Mcsweeney in a brutal late-night sexual attack.

Mcsweeney was condemned as “spineless” by Mrs Justice Cheemagrubb, the judge at his trial when he refused to leave his cell for his sentencing to life in jail with a recommendation he serves a minimum of 38 years.

Mr Raab told the BBC that making convicts appear at sentencing hearings was “the very least the victims deserve and... a basic principle of British justice”.

He said that officials were looking at how the move could be enforced because “you could be in a situation where you’re physically having to manhandle somebody out of the cell”.

“I wouldn’t rule that out, but, fundamentally, if a perpetrator is not willing to come and face the judge... then I think we should be looking at increasing the sentence as an aggravating factor,” he added.

Mr Raab said that he wanted to “make sure courts have the power to compel someone who’s been convicted of a serious crime to come and face the sentence that they hand down”.

The plans were revealed at a meeting with Ms Aleena’s aunt, Farah Naz.