Two men jailed with indefinite sentences freed after two decades
Summary
Two men, Luke Ings and Liam Bennett, who were jailed with indefinite sentences for public protection (IPPs), have been freed after serving about 20 years, much longer than their minimum terms of two years or less. A high court judge replaced their original sentences and those of James Ward, who was also released after serving more time than his initial sentence.Key Facts
- Luke Ings and Liam Bennett were given IPP sentences in 2006 and 2007 as teenagers but served around 20 years each.
- James Ward was first released in 2017 after serving 10 years extra but was later sent back to prison and freed this year after a sentence review.
- A judge and magistrate canceled the IPP sentences and replaced them with fixed terms shorter than the time already served.
- The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) referred the men’s cases back to court because the original sentences did not properly consider their youth or chances of change.
- IPP sentences were abolished in 2012 because they were used too widely, but many prisoners remain on these sentences because the law did not apply to past cases.
- More than 2,000 prisoners still serve indefinite IPP sentences, with most having served well beyond their original minimum terms.
- The government plans to end IPP sentences completely with new laws before the current parliament ends.
- Judges found there was no solid reason to label the three men as dangerous offenders in their original sentencing.
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