SIR – In 1984 Ian McLoughlin was jailed for the manslaughter of a man whom he hit over the head with a hammer.

In 1992 he stabbed to death a barman and was given a life sentence.

This July, while on day release from prison, he murdered a 66-year-old pensioner and was given life with a minimum of 40 years at the Old Bailey.

Justice Sweeney said that he was barred from passing a whole life term because of European judgement that those sentences are in breach of human rights. (T&A, October 22).

All credit to Shipley MP Philip Davies for calling on the Government to tell judges they should hand out sentences they see fit and ignore the views of the pseudo-sham judges at the European Court of Human Rights.

The punishment should fit the crime.

D Rhodes, Croscombe Walk, Bradford