Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Minimum 22 years for Phipps' killer

Life sentence for Nichols

This news probably arrived too late for publication in this evening's Gazette. Scott Trevor Nichols the 21 year old killer who stabbed Lee Phipps to death on the ash path near Cleadon Hills, South Shields on 2nd. March last year has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tarrif of 22 years.

Nichols was an out of control criminal with 37 previous convictions including offences such as assault, robbery, burglary and other offences involving the carrying of knives. He was reasonably well known in South Shields as a very dangerous and unpredictable young man, my estimation (after having dealt with him at the Corner Shop) is that remorse will not cross his mind. I only hope that the prison service can either reform him, or find other means to keep him incarcerated beyond his minimum tarrif. The thought of him being returned to society, unreformed, at the age of 43, is very worrying indeed.

The sentencing hearing before the Recorder of Newcastle Mr. Justice David Hodson also found that there was no evidence of racism towards the Phipps family during the course of the investigation by Northumbria Police.

Links

Newcastle Evening Chronicle
BBC News

# posted by Curly : 6:03 pm