Mayor Calls For Urgent Action Over “Shocking Disparity” In Murder Sentencing

The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin calls for tougher sentencing for domestic murders after hearing the tragic case of Poppy Devey Waterhouse.

3rd November 2022

The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin calls for tougher sentencing for domestic murders after hearing the tragic case of Poppy Devey Waterhouse.

The 24-year-old was killed by her ex-partner, Joe Atkinson, with a kitchen knife in a flat they shared in Leeds in 2018 – a crime which he received a lesser sentence of 16 years because the weapon was already in the home.

The Mayor has hit out at the “shocking disparity” in murder sentencing rules.

Under current sentencing guidelines, a murder weapon taken to the scene carries a minimum 25-years imprisonment.

The Mayor and West Yorkshire’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Alison Lowe OBE, recently met with the victim’s mother, Julie Devey, who is campaigning for a change in the law.

Julie said:

“As soon as we were told that the sentence that would be handed out to our daughter’s killer would be starting at a point ten years less than if she was killed out on the street, we were horrified.

“Domestic Homicides often use ‘overkill’, which is more force than is necessary. In Poppy’s case, she endured 49 knife wounds and over 100 injuries altogether.

“These facts appear to be ignored by the justice system as it stands. By having a minimum starting tariff at 15 years, these victim’s lives are diminished. It sends a very clear message to families and the public that those lives were worth less than those taken outside.”

Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin has pledged to make the safety of women and girls a top priority and said:

“My heart goes out to Poppy’s family for their devastating loss, which is yet another horrific example of male violence towards women and girls.

“This case highlights a shocking disparity in murder sentencing rules that is bringing further heartache to the families of murder victims.

“It can’t be right that you receive a sentence that’s ten years lighter, just because you pulled the knife from the kitchen drawer, rather than from your pocket.

“I have raised this with the Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, and will be fighting their corner to seek tougher sentencing in these cases.”

West Yorkshire’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Alison Lowe OBE said:

“I completely empathise with the situation that the family continue to face and how the sentencing guidelines have further impacted their lives.

“I am also aware of the Government’s Domestic Homicide Sentencing Review, but we are yet to see the findings and recommendations, which were personally promised to Poppy’s mother by the now Deputy Prime Minister.

“I would call on the Justice Secretary Dominic Raab to honour his word and deliver the assurances we need that the treatment of such cases will quickly change.”