The new justice secretary was urged to put cameras in prison cells so cowardly killers like Thomas Cashman cannot hide from their victims' families.
Conservative MP Sir Robert Buckland yesterday urged newly appointed justice secretary Alex Chalk to take action to punish convicted criminals who refuse to attend sentencing hearings. Sir Robert, a former justice secretary himself, said Mr Chalk should consider putting cameras in cells "so there's nowhere to hide" as grieving families tell the court about the impact of their vile crimes.
The ECHO recently launched its campaign calling for an urgent change in the law to force killers to face their victims' families. Cowardly drug dealer Thomas Cashman refused to leave his cell when he was sentenced to a minimum of 42 years for murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Dovecot.
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Olivia's dignified family sat and watched in court as Cashman shamefully tried to lie his way out of taking responsibility for the horrific pain and devastation he inflicted on them. The jury was not swayed and the 34-year-old killer will spend most of his life behind bars.
Sir Robert told the Mirror: "We need to try to stop this from becoming more of a trend. You get a lot of copycat behaviour which is the danger and we need to try and dis-incentivise that as early and as quickly as possible. Listening to the families and hearing how they feel when the victim's personal statement is read out and they can't see the defendant's reaction really cuts to the core of all of this.
"I think that not just for the families but for wider society, it's important that when justice is seen to be done, it's done in the presence of those who commit the most serious crime. And I think, creating a sense of consequences for a wilful refusal to face up to that responsibility is sensible and necessary and right."
Mr Chalk, who was a criminal barrister before entering parliament, was appointed as justice secretary on Friday as a replacement for Dominic Raab. Mr Buckland said: "Alex is somebody who understands the system better than most people and I know where his instincts are gonna lie on this. He will want to do something to help improve the situation I'm pretty sure. I trust him to seek a solution."
Mr Buckland urged the new Justice Secretary to look at using the Victims and Prisoners’ bill as a "potential legislative vehicle to change the law". He said he doesn’t believe there needs to be a change to the law to put cameras in cells. He added: "I think that ministers working with HMCTS [HM Courts and Tribunals Service] should be able to come up with some flexible solution that allows that to happen at the earliest opportunity."
Disgraced ex-justice secretary Mr Raab faced angry calls to stop dragging his feet earlier this month after he vowed he would change the law to force criminals to attend court. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, a previous director of public prosecutions, has backed the ECHO's campaign.
Sir Keir said: "The unimaginable agony that Olivia’s family now carry can’t be erased. But we can honour Olivia’s memory, and her family’s courage, by establishing a change in the law. While the family bravely went to court for Olivia, and for justice, her killer was allowed to hide away. Refusing to face his punishment, he cowardly whimpered away in a cell.
"That this has been allowed is a shameful gap in the system and one I’m determined to see closed. As Director of Public Prosecutions I saw the importance of victims and their families being able to face their perpetrators. It brings an element of closure, and gives victims of crime confidence that if they come forward the system will work wholly and fairly for them.
"Victims must be at the heart of our justice system. For Olivia, her mum, her family, and for all victims, who deserve nothing less than full justice, I stand squarely behind the Echo’s campaign for a change in the law."
Downing Street declined to give details of how ministers intended to force criminals to attend sentencing or to commit to a timeline for making the change. The Prime Minister's spokesman said: "We do think it is important criminals face up to the crimes they have committed, but beyond that I can't at the moment on what action will be taken."
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