Notorious criminals who dodge their sentencing hearings could be dragged into the dock using “reasonable force” with the power to make them attend enshrined in law, the Justice Secretary has said.
A string of killers have refused to enter the dock to face justice in recent years, sparking pressure on politicians to change the law to tackle the issue.
Serial killer nurse Lucy Letby stayed in her cell as she was handed 13 life sentences for the murders and attempted murders of babies in her care.
She missed the court hearing where parents of the babies read out heartbreaking statements about the lasting impact of her crimes.
Gangster Thomas Cashman refused to enter the courtroom when he was jailed for life for the gun murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool.
And Jordan McSweeney sparked outrage when he too refused to come to court to be sentenced for the sexual assault and murder of law graduate Zara Aleena as she walked home in Ilford, east London.
Answering questions in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said a new law is being drafted to give judges the power to compel defendants to attend sentencing, and “reasonable force” can be used by dock officers.
“By failing to attend their sentencing hearings, criminals add insult to injury and deny victims and their families a vital part of seeing justice done”, she told MPs.
“I will be legislating to give judges the power to order attendance at sentencing hearings, and I will make it clear in the law that reasonable force can be used to make sure that this happens.”
Ms Mahmood said she and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met Cheryl Korbel, Olivia’s mother, as part of her campaign for killers to face up to justice.
She said other campaigning families, including Ms Aleena’s aunt Farah Naz, will be consulted before the law is put before Parliament.
She added: “We have committed to introducing that legislation before this summer, and I will, of course, as promised last week, consult with Olivia’s family as well as the families of other victims where attendance at sentencing hearings has caused problems.”
The last Conservative government promised a similar reform, as well as the threat of an extra two years in prison for defendants who still refuse to attend court.
However, sceptics of that idea pointed out extra jail time would have little influence over killers like Letby who know they are likely to be jailed for the rest of their lives for the main crimes.
Judges already have the authority to order that defendants are brought to court, but it is not used – largely over fears that dock officers could be put in danger by trying to force a defendant to enter a courtroom.
Southport killer Axel Rudakubana turned up to his sentencing hearing last Thursday, but was ejected three times by the judge after he insistently screamed from the dock.
The mass murderer, who killed three young girls at a Taylor Swift themed dance class, missed the readings of impact statements.
And the judge did not order him to return to the dock for the sentencing remarks, after the killer made it clear he would continue shouting and being disruptive if forced to attend.
Letby, a former nurse at the Countess of Chester hospital, was in the dock for her second sentencing hearing after she was convicted of attempting to murder another baby. She said “I’m innocent” as she was being led away.
