2 months ago
55 The sentence imposed on Aaron Strachan does not mean he'll walk out of prison after five years - instead, it could keep him behind bars for decades, if not the rest of his life.
The minimum five year jail term is highly misleading and arguably forms the least important part of the order for lifelong restriction (OLR).
The judge Michael O'Grady KC said: "I consider that in view of the level of risk you present to the public, you are likely to remain in prison for many years, if indeed you are ever released."
An OLR starts with what's called the punishment part - the bare minimum prisoners have to serve before they can be considered for parole.
In an unusually detailed sentencing statement, judge O'Grady noted that calculating punishment parts is "with good reason" much misunderstood by victims and members of the public.
He made it clear that the five-year term did not reflect his view on when Strachan should be released.
Once the punishment part has expired, Strachan will only be freed if the parole board decides he no longer presents a threat. Lifelong supervision would follow.
Late last year, there were 277 prisoners serving OLRs and of the 224 who had completed the punishment part of their sentence, only 14 had been freed.
In short, it's extremely difficult to get out of jail if you're handed an OLR.
Strachan appeared pleased with the five year term when he was leaving the dock.
Once he's confronted with the reality of the sentence, his view is likely to change.
