A woman has demanded that the British government act to make life sentences mean life after her daughter's murderer was jailed for a minimum of 15 years.
Thomas Purcell (18) was ordered to be detained at the Northern Secretary of State's pleasure for the murder of Megan McAlorum (16) at Belfast Crown Court yesterday.
Mr Justice McLaughlin, ordered the that teenager serve a minimum tariff of 15 years before being considered for release. Megan's mother, Margaret, was outraged at the sentence, which she branded a total disgrace.
Speaking outside the court, Ms McAlorum said: "He has shown no remorse at all, I am totally devastated, my whole family is devastated. They are letting these murderers back out on the streets. He will be back and he will do it again - there is no deterrent."
Fighting back tears, she said the government and parliament had to act.
Purcell was just 16 when he took Megan to an isolated forest on the hills above west Belfast and battered her to death with a log after they had sex. The prosecution said they believed he had raped her but could not prove it.
Purcell insisted he was innocent until the day his trial was due to begin last month and changed his plea to guilty at the last moment. The teenager had a criminal record dating back to a first appearance at juvenile court at Oxford when he was 13. Purcell had previously been convicted of seven robberies, common assault, shoplifting, motoring offences and racial harassment. - (PA)