Libby Squire's mum: 'If you take a life, you should spend life in prison'

2 January 2022, 12:20 | Updated: 3 January 2022, 08:22

Lisa Squire phones in on stricter jail terms for serious offenders

By Seán Hickey

The mother of murdered Libby Squire phones in to LBC to share her view on tougher sentencing for serious offenders.

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Matthew Wright was taking calls amid news that Attorney General Suella Braverman will review the sentences of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes' father and stepmother, who received 21 and 29 year jail terms respectively for the six-year-old's killing.

He was taken aback when Lisa Squire, mother of Libby Squire who was raped and murdered in 2019, phoned in.

"If you take a life, you should spend the rest of your life in prison" Ms Squire told Matthew, explaining that when "a person gets a long sentence, it gives justice to the family."

Read more: Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Grandfather says 'life should mean life' for his killers

Ms Squire explained that during the trial of her daughter's murderer, she didn't care about the length of sentence as she "just wanted to know what happened" to Libby.

Labinjo-Hughes' father and stepmother's jail terms won't be overturned

Read more: 'Life should mean life': Libby Squire's mother gives take on Pitchfork release

"Since the sentencing I've become immersed in a world that most people never have to become immersed in" she noted, which was the reason behind her passionately getting behind tougher sentencing for serious criminals.

Speaking about Pawel Relowicz, who was sentenced for Libby's murder, Ms Squire said "he should be made to, every morning wake up in a prison sell, and remember why he's there."

"He really is on his own in prison and I get a lot of satisfaction from that" she said.

On the father and stepmother of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, Ms Squire concluded that "they knew what they were doing was wrong" and "should spend a very long time in prison" as a result.