Tony Ryall

Law and Order spokesman

5 February 2004

Williams' sentence not long enough

National Party Law and Order spokesman Tony Ryall says the 15-year non-parole sentence handed down today to the killer of Coral-Ellen Burrows is nowhere near long enough.

"Fifteen years is a manifestly inadequate sentence for the ghastly murder of a helpless child by a man with 88 previous convictions.

"National's policy is that life-means-life for these sorts of offenders."

In sentencing Williams, Justice Wild was reported as saying he was giving him two years less than the minimum non-parole period required in the 2002 Sentencing Act because it would be manifestly unjust not to recognise his guilty plea and remorse.

Mr Ryall says: "Giving a discount of two years shows why the law needs to be changed.

"Surely people should get longer sentences if they don't show remorse, rather than the other way around.

"There should be no discount for acting ability."

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