Jealous ex-partners who kill or strangle their victims will receive tougher jail terms, the justice secretary has announced.
Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood said the move is part of the government’s crackdown on violence against women. It follows an independent review into domestic homicide sentencing.
The government said it will implement two new statutory aggravating factors – meaning judges must consider stronger sentences for murders involving strangulation or when the killing is connected to the end of a relationship.
The changes in England and Wales are expected to come into force next year. But some campaigners criticised the proposals, saying the new guidelines “fail to go far enough”.
The Law Commission, which reviews current laws and recommends reforms, has also been asked to look at the overall sentencing framework for murder and law around homicide.
The changes come in response to issues raised by campaigners, including how diminished responsibility is considered in trials and whether current sentencing rules properly reflect the seriousness of domestic murders.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said 85 people, mainly women, are killed by their current or ex-partner each year, mostly in their own home.
Barrister Clare Wade’s review of a number of murder cases found 30% involved strangulation and 40% happened at the end, or perceived end, of a relationship. All involving female victims and male killers.
Alex Davies-Jones, the minister for violence against women and girls, praised campaigning groups including the Joanna Simpson Foundation, Killed Women, and the families of the victims of the Nottingham attacks.
The Joanna Simpson Foundation, which seeks to support children who experience domestic abuse and homicide, was created after Joanna Simpson was killed by her husband Robert Brown at her home, within earshot of her children, in 2010.
The former British Airways captain buried her body in a pre-dug grave in Windsor Great Park. He was found not guilty of murder after a jury was told the couple’s bitter divorce proceedings had placed him under stress.
Brown was due to be freed in November 2023 after serving half of his 26-year jail sentence for manslaughter, but his release was blocked by the previous Tory government.
Diana Parkes and Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, Joanna’s mother and best friend respectively, established the foundation in her name.
Reacting to the government’s announcement, they said: “We believe the government [is] squandering a massive opportunity to bring all of our archaic homicide laws, sentencing and procedures into the 21st century.
“If the government [is] intent on reform – let’s do it once to create a system for handling homicide in this country that is truly fit for the future.”
The pair – who were given CBEs in December – said the Law Commission report was “narrow focused”.
Ms Parkes and Ms Barkworth-Nanton said they wanted the government to bring together a “broad coalition” of victims and human rights groups to examine overall sentencing and procedures.
“A failing and fragmented system cannot be bandaged. It needs cohesive and courageous reimagining,” they added.
Justice minister Mahmood said the sentencing changes will serve as part of the government’s plan for change.
“We are cracking down on violence against women and creating safer streets,” she said.
“I fully recognise the concerns raised around homicide law and sentencing, but these are incredibly complex issues and previous tinkering is what has led to the current disparities, so it is right that the Law Commission takes a comprehensive look at it.”
