Judge ups murderers' jail terms

The cause of Nicola West's death was strangulation

The minimum jails terms for two men who raped and strangled a charity worker and kept her body in a car boot have been increased at the Appeal Court.

Robert McCarry, 37, was convicted of the rape and murder of Nicola West, 34, of Little Blakenham, Suffolk, and told he must serve at least 19 years.

Paul Waters, 29, of Ipswich, was found guilty of attempted rape and murder and given a minimum of 13 years.

The Appeal Court increased the minimum sentences for both men by five years.

Judges at the Court of Appeal in London agreed with Attorney General Baroness Scotland that their tariffs of 19 years and 13 years respectively were "unduly lenient".

Both men were jailed for life in April for the murder of Miss West following a trial at Ipswich Crown Court.

If ever sexual conduct was involved in a murder, in our view it is here Lady Justice Hallett

Lady Justice Hallett, sitting with two other judges, said McCarry must now serve 24 years while Waters' sentence would be increased to 18 years.

The unemployed pair killed Miss West, a hospice worker, in February 2007 after drinking with her in a pub.

They had attacked her in a car then went to police 48 hours later after driving around with her body in the boot.

It was argued on behalf of the Attorney General that the original minimum terms did not reflect the overall seriousness of what was a sexually motivated murder.

The sentencing "starting point" should have been 30 years, counsel for the Attorney General said.

Lady Justice Hallett, giving the decision of the court, said the trial judge had been "wrong in his categorisation of this offence".

She added: "This was a death of a victim accompanied by sexual activity, namely rape and attempted rape, that increased her ordeal."

The judge, announcing the higher tariffs, said: "If ever sexual conduct was involved in a murder, in our view it is here."