Killing someone must mean longer jail term
A mum whose son was stabbed to death by a Wishaw man has called for lengthier life sentences for murder.
Liz Smith’s son Terry was murdered in August 2019. She has joined forces with the mum of teenager Liam Hendry, who was killed just weeks later, demanding courts hand out tougher custodial punishments.
Terry Smith, who was known as TJ, was killed after he wound someone up about a t-shirt they were wearing at a flat in Doonside Tower, Motherwell.
The 30-year-old dad was stabbed 11 times in the back and with such ferocity that the handle of the weapon snapped.
Callum Andrews, 22, from Wishaw was convicted of the murder and sentenced earlier this year to serve a minimum of 15 years.
At Andrews’ trial a female friend of TJ’s who gave evidence said that he had been winding up Connor Doherty, a friend of Andrews, about his t-shirt.
Terry’s mum Liz has united with Liam’s mum Margaret. The teenager was murdered in the Barrowfield area of Glasgow in September 2019.
Liam, 18, was deliberately mown down by a van driven by a stranger
– cocaine-fuelled Dean Wright. A disturbance had broken out between rival groups and he went outside to see what was going on.
In February, Wright was ordered to serve at least 22 years for Liam’s murder and the attempted murder of four others who had gone to Liam’s aid.
Despite both Andrews and Wright being handed mandatory life sentences for murder, the thugs could walk free after serving 15 years and 22 years respectively.
TJ and Liam’s families are now calling for life sentences to mean at least 25 years in prison following a UK Government pledge of mandatory life sentences in England for those who kill emergency workers.
The legislation known as Harper’s Law could be passed next year after a campaign by the widow of police officer Andrew Harper.
Liz said: “My son was stabbed 11 times. He had a daughter and never got to meet his baby son.
“My son wasn’t a paramedic or a policeman but he was my son and he was the world to me.
“We went through court praying that these people would get the punishment they deserve, but it’s not enough.
“I wanted this person to never see the light of day. He’s still going to walk the streets and have his freedom before long.”
L i a m’s mu m Ma r ga re t a d d e d : “Tougher life sentences should have been looked at long ago in Scotland. Liam had so much to live for and would have achieved so much.
“If you take that away, you shouldn’t have a life. Wright is going to come out and get on with his after 22 years. We need tougher life sentences of at least 25 years.”
Liz added: “Our sons no longer have a voice so we need to speak for them now.”
The two grieving mothers have been backed by grandmother of another teenager who died after being attacked with a blade at a house party in Lanarkshire.
Conner Cowper, 18, was stabbed in the neck in 2018 by pregnant 17-year-old Jolene Doherty who was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years term.
Gran Janet said: “There are so many families who have been let down by weaker sentences. I was made to feel as if our Conner was nothing. It’s time for change.”
All three women have been supported by Lanarkshire-based charity FAMS., which was set up by the family of Paul Gerard McGilvray who was stabbed to death in 2004 in the village of Annathill near Coatbridge.
His aunt, charity co-founder Ann Marie Cocozza said: “These were four young men who were murdered just going about their lives.
“Families have been fighting with FAMS for changes to the law for such a long time to no avail.
“It ’s time that a mandator y life sentence actually means something and acts as a real deterrent.”
The Scottish Conservatives backed the women’s calls and have criticised new proposals which could see prisoners freed after serving just a third of their sentence. They have brought forward proposals for a Whole Life Sentences Bill.
Scottish Tories Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Jamie Greene MSP, said: “These families demand that justice be served and that sentences must fit the crime.”
He added: “Life would mean life under our proposals.”
The Scottish Government said minimum terms served for life sentences had significantly increased in recent years from 14 years to 18 years, but that ultimately Scotland’s judges are “best-placed to determine the punishment part of each life sentence”.