Dominic Raab has been urged to fast-track plans to force criminals to attend their sentencing after the murderer of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel refused to leave his cell to be sentenced on Monday.
The aunt of Zara Aleena, who was murdered while walking home in June 2022, said allowing convicted criminals to avoid facing the court meant the “convict actually exercises their bit of power”.
Aleena, a 35-year-old aspiring lawyer, was sexually assaulted and murdered by the serial offender Jordan McSweeney, who also refused to attend court for sentencing.
Aleena’s aunt Farah Naz told BBC Breakfast criminals should have their sentence extended if they refused to face victims or their families.
She added: “Surely the judgment is part of the punishment ... we need to see that the process will deter further crime and how can the process feel like a punishment if the convict actually exercises their bit of power? It’s the last bit of power that needs to be taken away, certainly in our eyes.
“I think there are other ways to make the convict come to face their judgment and that would be to add time to their sentencing or there can be other ways. Otherwise we don’t have people deterred from committing crimes, if they are just moving from cell to cell there’s no sense of punishment. I would like Dominic Raab to move forward with developing this law.”
Raab said after McSweeney’s sentencing that he was looking into whether the law could be changed to compel offenders to attend their sentencing, including granting judges powers to impose longer prison sentences if convicts refused.
On Monday, Thomas Cashman was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 42 years for the murder of the nine-year-old girl. He had opened fire while chasing Joseph Nee, who had sought refuge inside after seeing that the door to Olivia’s home was open. She was fatally struck by a bullet that went through the door and the hand of her mother, Cheryl Korbel.
A source close to Raab said he was committed to making the changes. “Olivia Pratt-Korbel and her family weren’t able to hide from Thomas Cashman’s crime – so he shouldn’t be able to hide from justice.
“This is exactly why the deputy prime minister is committed to changing the law so that offenders are forced to face the consequences of their actions.”
The shadow justice secretary, Steve Reed, said: “It’s an absolute scandal that the Tory government has stood by while killers, rapists and terrorists pick and choose whether they turn up to face justice.
“It is disrespectful and grossly offensive to victims that criminals can refuse to face the consequences of their crimes in court. For victims and their families, this can be a vital part of seeing justice done.
“Labour called for new laws on this back in April last year but the Conservatives have dragged their feet and failed to act. Labour will always put victims of crime first and give judges the power to force offenders to face the consequences of their actions in court. Victims deserve nothing less.”
