Life should mean life

I cannot share the sense of triumph at the “double life” sentences handed out to the killers of Anthony Walker. In fact we can expect these two violent psychopaths to be walking the streets again before they are middle aged despite the “severity” of their sentence. Meanwhile an Asian gang, who murdered a passing white youth, escaped with a “normal” life sentence. Because they had already attacked other random passers-by some of whom were not white they “proved” that their crime was not racially motivated. This entitled them to a sentence that will be about half as long as that of the murderers of Anthony Walker.

I cannot bring myself to support a return of the death penalty (yet) but when it was abolished there was an understanding that those convicted of the most brutal murders would spend every day of the rest of their lives behind bars. This is not happening.

The murderers of Anthony Walker and Christopher Yates went up to an innocent passer by, and violently murdered them. The only appropriate punishment must be for them to live out every day of their lives in prison.

Apart from anything else this would protect members of the public from the danger they will pose when they are released. It will also deter other violent youths from carrying out motiveless attacks on strangers. But above all it would be justice.