During Justice questions in the House of Commons, I asked the Minister about a change in the law to ensure ‘cowardly’ defendants are in court for sentencing.
In 2014, Colin Ash Smith was convicted of murdering 16-year-old Claire Tiltman in Dartford. His final insult to her was to refuse to attend the sentencing hearing and I welcome the proposed changes to compel defendants to face up to the consequences of their actions.
I asked if the Minister could confirm there will be an opportunity for judges to hear representations from the prosecution, defence and security staff before such action is taken.
In response, Mr Argar expressed his sympathy to the friends and family of Claire and commented that Colin Ash Smith, as with Lucy Letby, was cowardly for not attending the sentencing hearing to face up to his appalling crime. To hear his full response, please view the video.