judge has jailed a young man for the murder of his grandfather in the first televised conviction that took place in the Old Bailey.
Judge Sarah Munro QC made legal history on Thursday when she sentenced 25-year-old Ben Oliver to life imprisonment with a minimum sentence of 10 years and eight months.
The images were broadcast on news channels and made available online via Sky Newsthe BBC, ITN and the PA news agency.
The move to allow cameras in the Crown Court follows a law change in 2020, but implementation has been delayed by the pandemic.
Oliver’s sentencing took place in Court Two, one of Old Bailey’s oldest courtrooms.
The defendant, from BexleyheathSouth London, was acquitted of murder after admitting to the manslaughter of 74-year-old David Oliver, in Mottingham, south London, on January 19 last year.
Judge Munro convicted him, explaining Oliver’s difficult family background, autistic spectrum disorder and depression.
She noted that he had loved his grandparents until he learned about sexual abuse allegations involving his grandfather.
That love turned into hatred of his grandfather, and Oliver developed “obsessive tunnel vision” that led to a determined decision to kill in a “savage” manner, the judge said.
Oliver inflicted 21 stab wounds to the victim’s face and seven to the torso before telling his grandmother, “He can’t hurt you anymore.”
After weighing aggravating and mitigating features, the judge told Oliver, “In your case, I think the seriousness of the crime warrants a life sentence.”
Earlier, the trial had heard that he had repeatedly stabbed and slashed the bedridden victim in the face and neck as he lay “helpless” in his bedroom.
Prosecutor Louis Mably QC had told jurors it was carried out with intent to kill because Oliver was “very angry” when he learned of allegations against his grandfather of historically sexually abusing girls.
The suspect had used a kitchen knife in the brutal attack and then confessed what he had done to his grandmother, the court had heard.
Jurors were told that the defendant grew up in “turbid and difficult times”, and in 2016 he was convicted of sex crimes against a young girl when he was 15 years old.
He was released from juvenile detention in September 2019.
In the months before the murder, he became aware of allegations of sexual abuse against his grandfather, who also allegedly mistreated his wife and had affairs.
The suspect was also depressed and had suicidal thoughts.
He is said to have an autistic spectrum disorder that, when combined with other emotional and mental factors, reduced his responsibility for the murder.
As an extenuation, Jennifer Dempster QC said, “The word tragic is a word that may be overused in this building to describe some cases — not so in this particular case.”
She said a series of “very unfortunate events” had combined to create a “near perfect storm” in which the murder took place.
“This is a young man who has been miserably abandoned on a number of levels by those who should have looked after him,” she said.
The move to broadcast Oliver’s sentencing was announced by the Justice Department on Wednesday and was hailed by broadcasters as a “milestone moment for open justice” and a “win for the viewer”.
Lord Chancellor and Justice Minister Dominic Raab said: “Opening up the courtroom to cameras to film the sentencing of some of the country’s most serious offenders will improve transparency and build confidence in the justice system.
“The public will now be able to see how justice is delivered, helping them better understand the complex decisions judges make.”
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord Burnett of Maldon, said the move was “very positive” in promoting open justice.
He said: “I think it’s an exciting development because it will help the public understand how and why criminals get the sentences they get in these very high-profile cases.”
“The conviction of serious criminal cases is something in which there is a legitimate public interest.
“And it always seemed to me that this is a part of the criminal process that can be recorded and broadcast in many cases, but not all, without jeopardizing the administration of justice or the interests of justice.”
The Central Criminal Court in London routinely handles some of the most complex cases, including murders and terrorism trials.
The amendment will allow High Court and Senior Circuit judges who sit in the Crown Courts to be filmed delivering their sentencing comments.
Only the judge will be in front of the camera to protect the privacy of victims, witnesses and jurors.