Ipswich Prostitute Murderer's Whole Life Sentence Is Legal

18 February 2014, 11:58 | Updated: 18 February 2014, 12:16

The whole life sentence given to the Ipswich prostitute murderer Steve Wright has this morning been ruled legal by judges.

Wright is one of five people serving a whole life in prison.  49 others are serving their whole life sentences in hospitals.

Social outcast Wright was told his ''targeted campaign of murder'' warranted the harshest punishment available to the judge.

He killed Tania Nicol, Gemma Adams, Anneli Alderton, Annette Nicholls and Paula Clennell between October and December 2006. All five were sex workers.

This morning judges have ruled that giving the most dangerous criminals whole life sentences is fair.

It's after the European Court of Human Rights claimed it was degrading.

The judges have already increased the sentence of a killer who murdered a man while on day release from prison after the ruling.

Sentencing in a number of high-profile criminal cases has been put on hold, including the terms to be handed out to soldier Lee Rigby's murderers, pending the judgment.

The Government has said that whole-life tariffs are "wholly justified in the most heinous cases''.

Reacting to today's ruling Attorney General Dominic Grieve said on Twitter: "I am pleased CoA (Court of Appeal) has confirmed those who commit the most heinous crimes can be sent to prison for the rest of their lives.''