Photo credit: www.theguardian.com
The life sentence imposed on a man who murdered his mother and two siblings while plotting a wider attack on a school is set to be reviewed, following a concerned intervention by a member of Parliament who described the sentence as overly lenient.
Nicholas Prosper, 19, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 49 years after he confessed to the murders of Juliana Falcon, 48, Kyle Prosper, 16, and Giselle Prosper, 13.
These tragic murders were part of a chilling plan Prosper had to launch an attack at his former primary school, intending to use a shotgun to create what he referred to as “the biggest massacre of the 21st century.”
On Wednesday, the attorney general’s office confirmed that the case would be referred to the Court of Appeal for reconsideration of the sentence.
This referral follows actions taken by Conservative shadow justice minister Kieran Mullan, who submitted the case under the unduly lenient sentence scheme on the same day Prosper was sentenced.
A spokesperson for the attorney general indicated on Wednesday that there is a strong argument for imposing a whole-life order for Prosper. “It is now for the court to determine whether to escalate the sentence,” they noted.
During the sentencing in Luton Crown Court last month, Justice Mrs. Cheema-Grubb expressed that she had fulfilled her responsibility to the public with the 49-year minimum term, opting against a life order that would have meant Prosper serving the entirety of his life behind bars.
Mullan expressed his support for the appeal referral via a post on X, stating, “These were the most heinous crimes deserving of the most severe penalty a court can give.”
In 2022, legislation was revised to permit individuals aged between 18 and 20 to potentially receive whole-life orders under exceptional circumstances, yet none have been issued to anyone in this age group thus far.
The proceedings revealed that Prosper killed his family in their Luton home following a violent confrontation, an act that was intrinsically linked to his planned mass shooting at St. Joseph’s Catholic primary school.
Prosper’s disturbing scheme had been in development for months. He conducted surveillance on the school, gathering images of its staff and students through its website and carefully noting class schedules.
In a premeditated move, Prosper purchased a shotgun online for £650, which he acquired after forging a shotgun license. He intended to execute his violent plan on the morning of September 13, beginning with the murder of his family while they slept, before proceeding to the school around 8:30am to carry out the attack. However, his execution of the plan faltered as his family sensed that something was amiss and confronted him, leading to a violent struggle.
Source
www.theguardian.com