Life s entences : LETTERS

From Ms Sarah Dinsdale-Young Sir: Many people feel that nothing useful will be gained if Private Lee Clegg serves a long prison sentence and is then released on licence but he is not the only young man to have made a dreadful mistake at a time of stress.Many of the country's convic ted murderers are not dangerous men (or women) but people who have only ever committed one crime which they deeply regret. To take a life is a terrible thing to do and society must deal with murderers but surely the time hascome when we should abolish t he mandatory life sentence for murder. Then judges can distinguish in their sentencing between the cold-blooded serial killer and those who, though guilty of an appalling crime, can not really be deemed a danger to society.

Yours faithfully, Sarah Dinsdale-Young Glasgow