Express & Star comment: Killer Aaron Barley should never be released from prison
It is hard to know how you apply a suitable sentence for a murderer such as Aaron Barley.
The 24-year-old was told he would spend a minimum of 30 years behind bars for the brutal slayings of Tracey Wilkinson and her 13-year-old son Pierce.
His sentence has now been increased to 35 years after the Court of Appeal said the original ruling had been 'unduly lenient'.
Still, Barley could well be out on the streets before his 60th birthday.
Meanwhile, the family and friends of Tracey and Pierce know they will never see their loved ones again.
This is a rough sleeper who was given a second chance by the Wilkinson family.
They brought him into their home and treated him like another member of the clan. Their generosity was quite extraordinary.
Yet he responded in the most depraved manner possible.
In the cold light of day, 35 years does not seem a stiff enough sentence for this twisted individual.
Many would say the only suitable sentence for Barley involves him never again experiencing life outside prison walls.
Yet with the desperate state of our criminal justice system, we really should not be surprised at judges delivering 'unduly lenient' sentences.
It happens every day in courts up and down the land.
As the current Government lurches from one catastrophe to another, ministers need to show they are capable of making tough decisions that are in the public interest.
One move that would be widely welcomed is to instigate a complete revamp of the criminal justice system.
The judges must be forced to come down from their ivory towers and see what is going on in the real world.
They must understand that the best deterrent to crime is the implementation of punitive sentences.
For too long criminals in this country have laughed in the face of our courts.
It is hardly surprising when you consider the frequency with which suspended sentences and community orders are handed out by judges.
The crippled legal system in this country may well be concerned about Barley's rehabilitation, but the public want to see him properly punished for his heinous crimes.
It is questionable whether vermin of his ilk should ever be considered for release at all.
