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Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Glasgow Times
Triple murderer will not be given whole-life order, Court of Appeal rules
Prosper was jailed for life with a minimum term of 49 years in March after he murdered 48-year-old Julianna Falcon, 13-year-old Giselle Prosper and 16-year-old Kyle Prosper at their family flat in Luton, Bedfordshire, on September 13 2023. The 19-year-old was also sentenced for weapons offences, having plotted a mass shooting at his former primary school. The Solicitor General referred Prosper's sentence to the Court of Appeal in April, with barristers telling a hearing in London that a whole-life term was a 'just punishment' for the 'exceptional' crimes. Barristers for Prosper, who is due to be released in his late 60s at the earliest, said the sentence 'cannot be said to be unduly lenient'. In a ruling, the Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, sitting with Mr Justice Goss and Mr Justice Wall, said that Prosper's sentence was 'itself a very severe sentence for a 19-year-old'. She said: 'These were undoubtedly offences of the utmost gravity, with multiple features incorporating disturbing, recurrent themes around school shootings.' She continued: 'Had the offender been 21 or over at the time of the offending, a whole-life order would undoubtedly have been made.' She added that the sentencing judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, was right to conclude that the 'enhanced exceptionality test' of whether to pass a whole-life term on an 18-to-20-year-old was 'not met on the facts'. She said: 'Parliament chose to set what is already a very high threshold for a whole-life order for an adult, even higher for a young offender.' She concluded: 'Appalling though these crimes were, we are not persuaded that anything less than a whole-life order was unduly lenient.' (From left) Giselle Prosper, 13, Juliana Falcon, 48, and 16-year-old Kyle Prosper (Bedfordshire Police/PA) Prosper, who would have become the first person aged under 21 to be given a whole-life order if his sentence was increased, watched proceedings via a video link from HMP Belmarsh. Whole-life orders are reserved for the most serious offences, with those handed the tariffs including Louis De Zoysa, who murdered Metropolitan Police Sergeant Matt Ratana in 2020, and Kyle Clifford, who murdered his ex-partner Louise Hunt, her sister Hannah Hunt and mother Carol Hunt last year. Rules were changed in 2022 to allow younger defendants aged 18 to 20 to receive whole-life orders in exceptional circumstances, but no one in that age bracket has received the sentence since. Reading out the judgment, Baroness Carr said that Prosper was 'deeply fascinated by notorious murders' and had 'started to plan emulating and indeed outdoing' the Sandy Hook school shooting in the United States. The day before the killings, Prosper obtained a shotgun and 100 cartridges from a legitimate firearms dealer through a 'meticulously forged' gun licence, and planned to kill 34 people at a school, including 30 children. He shot his mother in the early hours of September 13, placing a book named How To Kill Your Family on her legs, before shooting his sister. Nicholas Prosper holding a plank of wood as a mock gun (Bedfordshire Police/PA) Prosper then killed his brother, shooting him twice and stabbing him more than 100 times. Prosper hid for more than two hours before flagging down police officers in a nearby street and showing them where he had hidden a loaded shotgun and 33 cartridges near playing fields. Following his arrest, he was 'cheerful' and told police that he wished he had killed more people, Baroness Carr said. Sentencing him at Luton Crown Court in March, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said that a whole-life term could only be given to someone in that age bracket if a court deemed 'that the seriousness of the combination of offences is exceptionally high'. But she said that while Prosper was 'indisputably a very dangerous young man', the risk to the public was met with a life sentence. The judge noted that both prosecution and defence barristers said that a whole-life term should not be imposed, and that he had not carried out the school shooting. Tom Little KC, appearing for the Solicitor General on Wednesday, said in written submissions: 'The age of the offender and his guilty pleas, although relevant to the ultimate decision, did not inexorably lead to or mean that this was a case in which a whole-life order was not appropriate.' David Bentley KC, for Prosper, said: 'The reality is that with the existing sentence, the earliest date he could actually be considered for parole is in his late 60s, and the dangerousness is covered by the life sentence.' Following the ruling, the Solicitor General, Lucy Rigby, said: 'Nicholas Prosper's brutal murder of his family and plans to attack school children and teachers shocked the whole nation. 'Given the nature and scale of the intended attack, I received several requests under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme to consider his sentence. 'Following careful consideration, I concluded that Prosper's sentence should be referred to the Court of Appeal as it appeared unduly lenient. 'I respect the Court of Appeal's decision. 'My thoughts and deepest sympathies today are with Juliana, Giselle, and Kyle's loved ones, and everyone impacted by Prosper's crimes.'
Western Telegraph
a day ago
- Western Telegraph
Triple murderer will not be given whole-life order, Court of Appeal rules
Prosper was jailed for life with a minimum term of 49 years in March after he murdered 48-year-old Julianna Falcon, 13-year-old Giselle Prosper and 16-year-old Kyle Prosper at their family flat in Luton, Bedfordshire, on September 13 2023. The 19-year-old was also sentenced for weapons offences, having plotted a mass shooting at his former primary school. The Solicitor General referred Prosper's sentence to the Court of Appeal in April, with barristers telling a hearing in London that a whole-life term was a 'just punishment' for the 'exceptional' crimes. Barristers for Prosper, who is due to be released in his late 60s at the earliest, said the sentence 'cannot be said to be unduly lenient'. In a ruling, the Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, sitting with Mr Justice Goss and Mr Justice Wall, said that Prosper's sentence was 'itself a very severe sentence for a 19-year-old'. She said: 'These were undoubtedly offences of the utmost gravity, with multiple features incorporating disturbing, recurrent themes around school shootings.' She continued: 'Had the offender been 21 or over at the time of the offending, a whole-life order would undoubtedly have been made.' She added that the sentencing judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, was right to conclude that the 'enhanced exceptionality test' of whether to pass a whole-life term on an 18-to-20-year-old was 'not met on the facts'. She said: 'Parliament chose to set what is already a very high threshold for a whole-life order for an adult, even higher for a young offender.' She concluded: 'Appalling though these crimes were, we are not persuaded that anything less than a whole-life order was unduly lenient.' (From left) Giselle Prosper, 13, Juliana Falcon, 48, and 16-year-old Kyle Prosper (Bedfordshire Police/PA) Prosper watched proceedings via a video link from HMP Belmarsh. Whole-life orders are reserved for the most serious offences, with those handed the tariffs including Louis De Zoysa, who murdered Metropolitan Police Sergeant Matt Ratana in 2020, and Kyle Clifford, who murdered his ex-partner Louise Hunt, her sister Hannah Hunt and mother Carol Hunt last year. Rules were changed in 2022 to allow younger defendants aged 18 to 20 to receive whole-life orders in exceptional circumstances, but no one in that age bracket has received the sentence since. Reading out the judgment, Baroness Carr said that Prosper was 'deeply fascinated by notorious murders' and had 'started to plan emulating and indeed outdoing' the Sandy Hook school shooting in the United States. The day before the killings, Prosper obtained a shotgun and 100 cartridges from a legitimate firearms dealer through a 'meticulously forged' gun licence, and planned to kill 34 people at a school, including 30 children. He shot his mother in the early hours of September 13, placing a book named How To Kill Your Family on her legs, before shooting his sister. Nicholas Prosper holding a plank of wood as a mock gun (Bedfordshire Police/PA) Prosper then killed his brother, shooting him twice and stabbing him more than 100 times. Prosper hid for more than two hours before flagging down police officers in a nearby street and showing them where he had hidden a loaded shotgun and 33 cartridges near playing fields. Following his arrest, he was 'cheerful' and told police that he wished he had killed more people, Baroness Carr said. Sentencing him at Luton Crown Court in March, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said that a whole-life term could only be given to someone in that age bracket if a court deemed 'that the seriousness of the combination of offences is exceptionally high'. But she said that while Prosper was 'indisputably a very dangerous young man', the risk to the public was met with a life sentence. The judge noted that both prosecution and defence barristers said that a whole-life term should not be imposed, and that he had not carried out the school shooting.
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Scottish Sun
I busted county lines gang that exports school kids like slaves…I've seen desperate kids leap from windows
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AFTER bashing down the door to a drug den on the third floor of a tower block, police officers were surprised to see a window open and a burner phone on the ledge. One of the 17-year-old dealers using the gloomy property in Dunstable, Bedforshire had jumped 40ft in a bid to escape capture. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 12 Jamal Andall was jailed for trafficking a child across county lines Credit: Channel 4 12 Dealers threaten to 'rub out' school children they've recruited in chilling texts Credit: Channel 4 12 An arrest following a raid on a drug den in Dunstable, Bedfordshire Credit: Channel 4 They were shocked to see the youngster survived the potentially fatal leap - but he didn't get away. The savvy officers were able to track him down and the mobile device led them to the kingpin behind an extensive county lines network. But a new episode of Channel 4's 24 Hours in Police Custody, titled Lost Boys, reveals the fear of gangs that is driving children to such extreme actions. Gary Hales, an investigating officer from Bedfordshire Police's Boson guns and gangs unit at the time of the arrests, tells The Sun: 'When you are going into a top floor flat you don't expect someone to be jumping out of the window. "It was amazing he didn't break his legs. 'There is fear. A way the gangs keep these children street dealing is to threaten them and show a bit of force. 'When you are on a lower rung, you have the elders threatening you, you are around the knives, you are around the violence that goes on.' In the show, which airs on Sunday at 9pm, we see some of the messages sent to a 15-year-old boy called Gavin, not his real name, who has been roped in by the ruthless criminals. There are threats to stab his mum, including 'wil shank up u mum'. Officers believe that Gavin has been told he has a drug debt and constantly has to work to pay it off otherwise they will face violent consequences. Police start huge crackdown against county lines gangs ruining teenage lives They will be told, 'Where is the rest of the money? You had more drugs.' In fact the teenagers haven't lost any drugs, they are just being told they have in order to keep them in debt. Adult mob members recruit school children because they are less likely to be sent to prison due to their age. Gavin's mum has called the police in a desperate state, because he keeps going missing, sometimes for 10 days at a time. The police suspect he is being sent around various 'trap houses', an American term for a drug den, in different English counties. 'Saturated' Luton has become so 'saturated' with drug lines that dealers send children far afield. Gary says: 'In terms of drug lines there are over 100 listed that are Bedfordshire based. "But then you have county lines going to places like Essex and London trying to muscle in. Luton is exporting drug deal lines to places where they are not known to police. We have rescued children from Swindon Gary Hales 'Luton is exporting drug deal lines to places where they are not known to police. We have rescued children from Swindon. 'Drug lines in Luton are saturated, they are known to police.' Access to Gavin's phone leads the detectives to the flat in Dunstable which is part of a network selling class A drugs including crack cocaine. Inside the flat is a 14-year-old boy, who has also been recruited by the county lines gangs. The flat is rented by a 23-year-old former heroin addict who says he allows the dealers to use his property because he doesn't want 'to get my head kicked in'. He warns: 'Drugs get you involved with stupid people.' Criminal control 12 Investigating officer Gary Hales helped track down the adult gangsters Credit: Channel 4 12 Drugs were found in Andall's car Credit: Channel 4 12 Luton in Bedfordshire is exporting drug dealers to other counties Credit: Alamy The pay as you go burner phone found on the window ledge has been topped up in various shops. By studying the CCTV of those businesses, the police are able to identify an adult higher up in the operation. When they arrest Jamal Andall in 2020 they find more burner phones and SIM cards in his home, plus crack rocks in his Ford Focus car. After being questioned, Andall is told he has been given bail and can go home. But the gangster says: 'I'm not walking home. It's not safe around here. I've been shot. I've been stabbed.' Remarkably, the police accede to his request and agree to drive him home. It's not safe around here. I've been shot. I've been stabbed Jamal Andall Andall and his fellow drug dealer Alex Anderson, both 30, became the first members of a county lines gang to be convicted of modern slavery offences by Bedfordshire Police. In February last year Andall was jailed for seven years for being concerned in the supply of heroin, with Anderson receiving six years and four months for the same offence. They were also sentenced to six years for exploitation and three years for being concerned in the supply of cocaine, but those will be served concurrently. The court heard that the two men trafficked a 15-year-old boy from Bedfordshire to Lowestoft in Suffolk, where officers found the boy with £3,000 worth of crack cocaine. Saving the 'lost boys' 12 Jamal Andall (right) and his fellow drug dealer Alex Anderson (left), both 30, became the first members of a county lines gang to be convicted of modern slavery offences by Bedfordshire Police 12 Class A drugs were found on the teenager exploited by Andall and Anderson Credit: Bedfordshire Police 12 Incriminating texts found on a phone in Andall's home helped nail him Credit: Bedfordshire Police Gary, though, says that 'there is always someone higher up', and that dealers keep finding new recruits. He says: 'They go to schools and care homes to slip them some cannabis and form a relationship with them. 'They might give you a top up for your phone, you'll think it's free, but nothing is free, there is going to be a pay day for that. 'They pull them into what is an organised crime group." The key to disrupting their business model is to stop children getting so entangled they don't think they can escape. A parent will notice a change in their child, whether they have got new clothes they can't afford or they are missing school Gary Hales He says: 'As a police force we are about protecting the community, and that means safeguarding these youngsters who have become dissociated and get pushed into these paths.' Bedfordshire police launched a Lost Boys campaign to inform parents, teachers and pupils about the warning signs. Gary says: 'Generally, a parent will notice a change in their child, whether they have got new clothes they can't afford or they are missing school.' If they can't be pulled back from the drugs underworld, the consequences can be fatal. As Gary points out: 'Many of the murders we see in towns like Luton are drug-related.' The lad who jumped out of the window was lucky - he might not be so fortunate next time. 24 Hours in Police Custody: Lost Boys, stream or watch live on Channel 4 from July 13 at 9pm. 12 Gavin kept going missing Credit: Channel 4 12 Drugs are ruining young lives Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- The Irish Sun
I busted county lines gang that exports school kids like slaves…I've seen desperate kids leap from windows
AFTER bashing down the door to a drug den on the third floor of a tower block, police officers were surprised to see a window open and a burner phone on the ledge. One of the 17-year-old 12 Jamal Andall was jailed for trafficking a child across county lines Credit: Channel 4 12 Dealers threaten to 'rub out' school children they've recruited in chilling texts Credit: Channel 4 12 An arrest following a raid on a drug den in Dunstable, Bedfordshire Credit: Channel 4 They were shocked to see the youngster survived the potentially fatal leap - but he didn't get away. The savvy officers were able to track him down and the mobile device led them to the kingpin behind an extensive county lines network. But a new episode of Channel 4's Gary Hales, an investigating officer from Bedfordshire Police's Boson guns and gangs unit at the time of the arrests, tells The Sun: 'When you are going into a top floor flat you don't expect someone to be jumping out of the window. Read More in The Sun "It was amazing he didn't break his legs. 'There is fear. A way the gangs keep these children street dealing is to threaten them and show a bit of force. 'When you are on a lower rung, you have the elders threatening you, you are around the knives, you are around the violence that goes on.' In the show, which airs on Sunday at 9pm, we see some of the messages sent to a 15-year-old boy called Gavin, not his real name, who has been roped in by the ruthless criminals. Most read in The Sun There are threats to stab his mum, including 'wil shank up u mum'. Officers believe that Gavin has been told he has a drug debt and constantly has to work to pay it off otherwise they will face violent consequences. Police start huge crackdown against county lines gangs ruining teenage lives They will be told, 'Where is the rest of the money? You had more drugs.' In fact the teenagers haven't lost any drugs, they are just being told they have in order to keep them in debt. Adult mob members recruit school children because they are less likely to be sent to prison due to their age. Gavin's mum has called the police in a desperate state, because he keeps going missing, sometimes for 10 days at a time. The police suspect he is being sent around various 'trap houses', an American term for a drug den, in different English counties. 'Saturated' Luton has become so 'saturated' with drug lines that dealers send children far afield. Gary says: 'In terms of drug lines there are over 100 listed that are Bedfordshire based. "But then you have county lines going to places like Essex and London trying to muscle in. Luton is exporting drug deal lines to places where they are not known to police. We have rescued children from Swindon Gary Hales 'Luton is exporting drug deal lines to places where they are not known to police. We have rescued children from Swindon. 'Drug lines in Luton are saturated, they are known to police.' Access to Gavin's phone leads the detectives to the flat in Dunstable which is part of a network selling class A drugs including crack cocaine. Inside the flat is a 14-year-old boy, who has also been recruited by the county lines gangs. The flat is rented by a 23-year-old former heroin addict who says he allows the dealers to use his property because he doesn't want 'to get my head kicked in'. He warns: 'Drugs get you involved with stupid people.' Criminal control 12 Investigating officer Gary Hales helped track down the adult gangsters Credit: Channel 4 12 Drugs were found in Andall's car Credit: Channel 4 12 Luton in Bedfordshire is exporting drug dealers to other counties Credit: Alamy The pay as you go burner phone found on the window ledge has been topped up in various shops. By studying the CCTV of those businesses, the police are able to identify an adult higher up in the operation. When they arrest Jamal Andall in 2020 they find more burner phones and SIM cards in his home, plus crack rocks in his Ford Focus car. After being questioned, Andall is told he has been given bail and can go home. But the gangster says: 'I'm not walking home. It's not safe around here. I've been shot. I've been stabbed.' Remarkably, the police accede to his request and agree to drive him home. It's not safe around here. I've been shot. I've been stabbed Jamal Andall Andall and his fellow drug dealer Alex Anderson, both 30, became the first members of a county lines gang to be convicted of modern slavery offences by Bedfordshire Police. In February last year Andall was jailed for seven years for being concerned in the supply of heroin, with Anderson receiving six years and four months for the same offence. They were also sentenced to six years for exploitation and three years for being concerned in the supply of cocaine, but those will be served concurrently. The court heard that the two men trafficked a 15-year-old boy from Bedfordshire to Lowestoft in Suffolk, where officers found the boy with £3,000 worth of crack cocaine. Saving the 'lost boys' 12 Jamal Andall (right) and his fellow drug dealer Alex Anderson (left), both 30, became the first members of a county lines gang to be convicted of modern slavery offences by Bedfordshire Police 12 Class A drugs were found on the teenager exploited by Andall and Anderson Credit: Bedfordshire Police 12 Incriminating texts found on a phone in Andall's home helped nail him Credit: Bedfordshire Police Gary, though, says that 'there is always someone higher up', and that dealers keep finding new recruits. He says: 'They go to schools and care homes to slip them some cannabis and form a relationship with them. 'They might give you a top up for your phone, you'll think it's free, but nothing is free, there is going to be a pay day for that. 'They pull them into what is an organised crime group." The key to disrupting their business model is to stop children getting so entangled they don't think they can escape. A parent will notice a change in their child, whether they have got new clothes they can't afford or they are missing school Gary Hales He says: 'As a police force we are about protecting the community, and that means safeguarding these youngsters who have become dissociated and get pushed into these paths.' Bedfordshire police launched a Lost Boys campaign to inform parents, teachers and pupils about the warning signs. Gary says: 'Generally, a parent will notice a change in their child, whether they have got new clothes they can't afford or they are missing school.' If they can't be pulled back from the drugs underworld, the consequences can be fatal. As Gary points out: 'Many of the murders we see in towns like Luton are drug-related.' The lad who jumped out of the window was lucky - he might not be so fortunate next time. 24 Hours in Police Custody: Lost Boys, stream or watch live on Channel 4 from July 13 at 9pm. 12 Gavin kept going missing Credit: Channel 4 12 Drugs are ruining young lives Credit: Getty 12 Cannabis plants found during a raid in Luton Credit: Alamy
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
I busted county lines gang that exports school kids like slaves…I've seen desperate kids leap from windows
AFTER bashing down the door to a drug den on the third floor of a tower block, police officers were surprised to see a window open and a burner phone on the ledge. One of the 17-year-old dealers using the gloomy property in Dunstable, Bedforshire had jumped 40ft in a bid to escape capture. 12 12 They were shocked to see the youngster survived the potentially fatal leap - but he didn't get away. The savvy officers were able to track him down and the mobile device led them to the kingpin behind an extensive county lines network. But a new episode of Channel 4's 24 Hours in Police Custody, titled Lost Boys, reveals the fear of gangs that is driving children to such extreme actions. Gary Hales, an investigating officer from Bedfordshire Police's Boson guns and gangs unit at the time of the arrests, tells The Sun: 'When you are going into a top floor flat you don't expect someone to be jumping out of the window. "It was amazing he didn't break his legs. 'There is fear. A way the gangs keep these children street dealing is to threaten them and show a bit of force. 'When you are on a lower rung, you have the elders threatening you, you are around the knives, you are around the violence that goes on.' In the show, which airs on Sunday at 9pm, we see some of the messages sent to a 15-year-old boy called Gavin, not his real name, who has been roped in by the ruthless criminals. There are threats to stab his mum, including 'wil shank up u mum'. Officers believe that Gavin has been told he has a drug debt and constantly has to work to pay it off otherwise they will face violent consequences. They will be told, 'Where is the rest of the money? You had more drugs.' In fact the teenagers haven't lost any drugs, they are just being told they have in order to keep them in debt. Adult mob members recruit school children because they are less likely to be sent to prison due to their age. Gavin's mum has called the police in a desperate state, because he keeps going missing, sometimes for 10 days at a time. The police suspect he is being sent around various 'trap houses', an American term for a drug den, in different English counties. 'Saturated' Luton has become so 'saturated' with drug lines that dealers send children far afield. Gary says: 'In terms of drug lines there are over 100 listed that are Bedfordshire based. "But then you have county lines going to places like Essex and London trying to muscle in. 'Luton is exporting drug deal lines to places where they are not known to police. We have rescued children from Swindon. 'Drug lines in Luton are saturated, they are known to police.' Access to Gavin's phone leads the detectives to the flat in Dunstable which is part of a network selling class A drugs including crack cocaine. Inside the flat is a 14-year-old boy, who has also been recruited by the county lines gangs. The flat is rented by a 23-year-old former heroin addict who says he allows the dealers to use his property because he doesn't want 'to get my head kicked in'. He warns: 'Drugs get you involved with stupid people.' Criminal control 12 12 12 The pay as you go burner phone found on the window ledge has been topped up in various shops. By studying the CCTV of those businesses, the police are able to identify an adult higher up in the operation. When they arrest Jamal Andall in 2020 they find more burner phones and SIM cards in his home, plus crack rocks in his Ford Focus car. After being questioned, Andall is told he has been given bail and can go home. But the gangster says: 'I'm not walking home. It's not safe around here. I've been shot. I've been stabbed.' Remarkably, the police accede to his request and agree to drive him home. It's not safe around here. I've been shot. I've been stabbed Jamal Andall Andall and his fellow drug dealer Alex Anderson, both 30, became the first members of a county lines gang to be convicted of modern slavery offences by Bedfordshire Police. In February last year Andall was jailed for seven years for being concerned in the supply of heroin, with Anderson receiving six years and four months for the same offence. They were also sentenced to six years for exploitation and three years for being concerned in the supply of cocaine, but those will be served concurrently. The court heard that the two men trafficked a 15-year-old boy from Bedfordshire to Lowestoft in Suffolk, where officers found the boy with £3,000 worth of crack cocaine. Saving the 'lost boys' 12 12 12 Gary, though, says that 'there is always someone higher up', and that dealers keep finding new recruits. He says: 'They go to schools and care homes to slip them some cannabis and form a relationship with them. 'They might give you a top up for your phone, you'll think it's free, but nothing is free, there is going to be a pay day for that. 'They pull them into what is an organised crime group." The key to disrupting their business model is to stop children getting so entangled they don't think they can escape. A parent will notice a change in their child, whether they have got new clothes they can't afford or they are missing school Gary Hales He says: 'As a police force we are about protecting the community, and that means safeguarding these youngsters who have become dissociated and get pushed into these paths.' Bedfordshire police launched a Lost Boys campaign to inform parents, teachers and pupils about the warning signs. Gary says: 'Generally, a parent will notice a change in their child, whether they have got new clothes they can't afford or they are missing school.' If they can't be pulled back from the drugs underworld, the consequences can be fatal. As Gary points out: 'Many of the murders we see in towns like Luton are drug-related.' The lad who jumped out of the window was lucky - he might not be so fortunate next time. 24 Hours in Police Custody: Lost Boys, stream or watch live on Channel 4 from July 13 at 9pm. 12 12 12
