[2011] EWCA Crim 556

A sentence of life imprisonment with a minimum term of 24 years, imposed for a brutal murder involving sadistic conduct by a defendant with a clean record who had not entered a guilty plea until the first day of trial was not excessive. The court discussed the duty of counsel to assist the judge in determining the factual basis for sentence where a defendant's basis of plea contradicted that of the joint venture co-defendant.

CA (Crim Div) (Moore-Bick LJ, Nicol J, Sir David Clarke)

09/03/2011