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John Kearney
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the escape of John Kearney from prison officer custody. [21753]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 27 March 1996:
27 Mar 1996 : Column: 601
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to your recent Question about the escape of John Kearney from prison officer custody.
Mr. Kearney has served nine years of a life sentence. In August 1995, he successfully completed an escorted visit to his aged father who could not travel and whose health was failing. Mr. Kearney made a second request to visit his father. The governor, having taken into consideration Mr. Kearney's successful completion of an escorted visit, his continued good prison behaviour and his father's health, decided to allow another escorted visit.
Mr. Kearney was handcuffed during the journey, but on the instructions of the governor, the handcuffs were removed on arrival. Mr. Kearney made good his escape by going out the front door and locking it, the officers were unable to follow. The escape was reported to the police and a thorough search of the area was conducted. Mr. Kearney is still at large. An investigation into the escape was ordered by the area manager responsible for Kingston.
The investigation report into the escape is currently with the area manager responsible for Kingston who will decide what action needs to be taken.
Life Sentences
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of those convicted (a) twice and (b) more than twice for each of the last five years for each offence for which a lift sentence is imposable by discretion, were sentenced to (i) life, (ii) a determinate sentence of (1) 20 years or more, (2) 15 years or more, (3) 10 years or more and (4) under 10 years by type of offence; in respect of how many of those cases, in each category, the Attorney-General referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal; and if he will make a statement. [23033]
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Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 26 March 1996]: The information requested is not collected routinely and data for each of the last five years are not available. A sample of those convicted in five weeks of 1993-94 for indictable offences includes 1,086 offenders convicted of offences carrying a discretionary life sentence. Some 132 offenders in the sample had been convicted twice of offences carrying a discretionary life sentence and 50 had been convicted more than twice. The sentence length given to these repeat offenders in the sample is shown for each offence in the tables. Information is not available on referrals to the Court of Appeal for the offenders included in the sample.
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| Sentence length | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offence (1), (2) | Less than 10 years | 10 years or more | 15 years or more | 20 years or more | Life | Total |
| Manslaughter | ||||||
| Number | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4 |
| Percentage | 100 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 100 |
| Wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm | ||||||
| Number | 25 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | 27 |
| Percentage | 93 | 7 | -- | -- | -- | 100 |
| Possession of firearms with intent | ||||||
| Number | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Percentage | 100 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 100 |
| Buggery | ||||||
| Number | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 3 |
| Percentage | 67 | 33 | -- | -- | -- | 100 |
| Rape | ||||||
| Number | 6 | 1 | -- | -- | 3 | 10 |
| Percentage | 60 | 10 | -- | -- | 30 | 100 |
| Aggravated burglary | ||||||
| Number | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 3 |
| Percentage | 67 | 33 | -- | -- | -- | 100 |
| Robbery | ||||||
| Number | 70 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 71 |
| Percentage | 99 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 100 |
| Kidnapping | ||||||
| Number | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 |
| Percentage | 100 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 100 |
| False imprisonment | ||||||
| Number | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 |
| Percentage | 100 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 100 |
| Arson | ||||||
| Number | 8 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 8 |
| Percentage | 100 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 100 |
| All offenders | ||||||
| Number | 123 | 6 | -- | -- | 3 | 132 |
| Percentage | 93 | 5 | -- | -- | 2 | 100 |
(1) Previous convictions are for any offence carrying a discretionary life sentence.
(2) There are several offences which carry a discretionary life sentence for which there were no second convictions in the sample weeks. These are attempted murder, unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl aged under 13, incest with a girl aged under 13, conspiring to commit murder, endangering railway passengers, hijacking, criminal damage endangering life, possession or use of explosives with intent to endanger life or to do grievous bodily harm.
27 Mar 1996 : Column: 601
| Sentence length | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offence(3)(4) | Less than 10 years | 10 years or more | 15 years or more | 20 years or more | Life | Total |
| Manslaughter | ||||||
| Number | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Percentage | 100 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 100 |
| Wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm | ||||||
| Number | 6 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 7 |
| Percentage | 86 | 14 | -- | -- | -- | 100 |
| Buggery | ||||||
| Number | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Percentage | 100 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 100 |
| Rape | ||||||
| Number | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 2 |
| Percentage | 50 | -- | -- | -- | 50 | 100 |
| Robbery | ||||||
| Number | 32 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 33 |
| Percentage | 97 | -- | -- | -- | 3 | 100 |
| Kidnapping | ||||||
| Number | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 |
| Percentage | 100 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 100 |
| False imprisonment | ||||||
| Number | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 |
| Percentage | 100 | -- | -- | -- | 100 | |
| Arson | ||||||
| Number | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Percentage | 100 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 100 |
| All offenders | ||||||
| Number | 47 | 1 | -- | -- | 2 | 50 |
| Percentage | 94 | 2 | -- | -- | 4 | 100 |
(3) Previous convictions are for any offence carrying a discretionary life sentence.
(4) There are several offences which carry a discretionary life sentence for which there were no second convictions in the sample weeks. These are attempted murder, unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl aged under 13, incest with a girl aged under 13, conspiring to commit murder, endangering railway passengers, hijacking, criminal damage endangering life, possession or use of explosives with intent to endanger life or to do grievous bodily harm.
27 Mar 1996 : Column: 603
27 Mar 1996 : Column: 603
Casinos and Bingo Clubs
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reference number was given to the consultation paper concerning the deregulation of casinos and bingo clubs published on 27 February; to whom it was sent; how many copies were printed: if it is available from (a) Her Majesty's Stationery Office and (b) other outlets; and at what price. [22767]
Mr. Kirkhope: The consultation paper on casinos and bingo clubs has the reference number ISBN: 1858935725.
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