Domestic killers to face 25-year minimum sentence under UK government plans

The Ministry of Justice plans to close a 10-year sentencing gap for domestic murders, raising the starting point from 15 to 25 years. Campaigners whose daughters were killed welcomed the move.

UK plans tougher prison terms for domestic killers who use weapons at home

People who kill a partner or ex-partner at home using a knife or other weapon already present at the scene could face an additional 10 years in prison, BBC News reports, as the government moves to tighten sentencing laws for domestic homicide.

Under current legislation, murders in which a weapon is brought to the scene with intent to kill carry a 25-year minimum starting point. But because most domestic killings involve a weapon already in the home — such as a kitchen knife — a lower 15-year baseline applies. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) says it intends to close that gap.

More than a fifth of all murders in England and Wales are domestic, and women are overwhelmingly the victims in such cases. A separate, higher starting point of 30 years already exists for murders committed with a firearm. Anyone convicted of murder receives a mandatory life sentence; judges then set the minimum term to be served.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said the legal change addresses a long-standing failure. "For centuries, the law failed to protect women from violence at the hands of their partner — whether from marital rape or from abuse behind closed doors," he said. "This change closes a long overdue gap and will ensure those who murder their partner face sentences that better reflect the devastating harm they cause."

The MoJ said the reform is subject to consultation with the Sentencing Council and will be introduced "as soon as possible".

The announcement was welcomed by Carole Gould, Julie Devey and Elaine Newborough, whose daughters — Poppy, Ellie and Megan — were each killed at home by former partners. The three mothers, who co-founded the charity Killed Women, have campaigned for seven years for an increase to the domestic murder minimum sentence.

In a joint statement, they said: "At last, women's lives are being valued as highly as men's. We have been campaigning relentlessly on this issue for seven years to persuade the state just how dangerous these men are. Over seven long years we have met with seven Lord Chancellors, each being sympathetic, but it is this Lord Chancellor, David Lammy MP, who has finally done the right thing."

The existing 15-year baseline will continue to apply in cases where a victim of domestic abuse kills their abuser — a provision the MoJ described as "an important safeguard to further protect victims".

Ellie Butt, head of Policy and Public Affairs at domestic abuse charity Refuge, called the change "hugely welcome". "This is both a crucial step towards improved justice for victims and a much-needed acknowledgement of how horrific a crime domestic homicide truly is," she said. Butt added that Refuge also welcomed the recognition that women who kill their abusers should not be subject to the stronger sentencing provisions.

The government has set a target to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the issue as a "national emergency" in December. The Law Commission is currently conducting a government-commissioned review of the sentencing framework for murder, with a consultation paper due to be published in summer 2027.

Source: BBC News