Murderers in the UK who have been give a whole life order

Murder is a crime that is always given a life sentence in the UK, but there are a few cases where some are given a sentence where they can never have any hope of parole.

This is related to ‘whole life orders’ which means the crime was so serious that they will never be released from prison.

According to Ministry of Justice statistics, there are currently around 70 whole life prisoners in this country.

Lucy Letby has now added to that total after being convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six more while working in the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016.

Here is a round-up of people in the UK who have been given the whole life order sentence.

Round-up of UK murderers given a whole life order

There are a number of Home Secretaries who are known to have imposed whole life orders for at least 23 murderers between 1983 and 2002.

Some of these included notorious serial killers such as the Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley in 1966.

Rosemary West, the wife of Fred, was also given one after being convicted for the murder of 10 people between 1971 and 1987.

Harold Shipman was another infamous example, being given a whole life order in 2000 due to the former GP being convicted of killing 15 of his patients in the 1990s.

Following this period of time a European Court of Human Rights decision meant only trial judges and the High Court had the power to impose whole life orders.

Some of the people who have been given this sentence since then include Michael Adebolajo, who murdered Lee Rigby of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in 2013.

There are currently 70 people serving out life order sentences in the UK (Image: Canva)

Stephen Port, also known as ‘The Grindr Killer’, received one in 2016 after he gave fatal doses of drugs to four separate men between August 2014 and September 2015.

The former Met Police officer Wayne Couzens is currently serving a whole life order for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard, whilst Ali Harbi Ali is also serving time without parole after killing the MP Sir David Amess during a constituency surgery.

Before Letby’s sentencing, the most recent whole life order had been for Louis De Zoysa, also in 2023.

They shot and killed Met Police office Sgt Matt Ratana whilst he was acting in the execution of his duty, after concealing an antique gun in his jacket.

It was the first whole life order handed down whilst TV cameras are allowed in the Crown Court.