A judge has jailed a young man for the manslaughter of his grandfather in the first televised sentencing to take place at London’s Old Bailey.
Judge Sarah Munro QC made legal history on Thursday as she sentenced Ben Oliver (25) to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 10 years and eight months.
The footage was broadcast on news channels and made available online through Sky News, the BBC, ITN and the PA news agency.
The move to allow cameras in the crown court follows a change in the law in 2020, but implementation was delayed due to the pandemic.
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The sentencing of Oliver took place in Court Two, one of the Old Bailey’s oldest courtrooms.
The defendant, from Bexleyheath, south London, had been cleared of murder having admitted the manslaughter of David Oliver (74), in Mottingham, south London, on January 19th last year.
Sentencing him, Judge Munro set out Oliver’s troubled family background, autistic spectrum disorder and depression.
She noted he had loved his grandparents until he found out about allegations of sexual abuse involving his grandfather.
That love turned to hatred of his grandfather and Oliver developed an “obsessional tunnel vision” leading to a determined decision to kill in a “ferocious” way, the judge said.
Oliver inflicted 21 stab wounds to the victim’s face and seven to the torso before telling his grandmother: “He cannot hurt you any more now.”
After weighing up aggravating and mitigating features, the judge told Oliver: “In your case I do consider the seriousness of the offence does justify a life sentence.”
The move to televised sentencing will open up some of the most high-profile courts and allow the public to see and hear judges explain the reasoning behind their sentences. Only the judge will be filmed to protect the privacy of victims, witnesses and jurors.
UK justice secretary Dominic Raab said: “Opening up the courtroom to cameras to film the sentencing of some the country’s most serious offenders will improve transparency and reinforce confidence in the justice system.
“The public will now be able to see justice handed down, helping them understand better the complex decisions judges make.”
Broadcasters hailed cameras in crown courts as a “landmark moment for open justice” and a “victory for the viewer”. — PA