ENGLAND AND WALES — Justice Secretary David Lammy announced that murderers who kill their current or ex-partner in England and Wales will face the prospect of an extra 10 years in prison. The new sentencing measure is subject to consultation with the Sentencing Council.

Carole Gould, whose daughter Ellie was killed in 2019, watched the announcement from the public gallery. Ellie Gould was 17 when she was killed by Thomas Griffiths, a fellow sixth-former, the day after she ended their relationship. Griffiths received a sentence of 12 and a half years.

Poppy Devey Waterhouse was 24 when she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend Joe Atkinson on December 14, 2018. Atkinson was sentenced to 16 years. Megan Newborough was 23 when she was murdered by her boyfriend Ross McCullam in 2021. Previously, killers in domestic murder cases faced a maximum sentence of 15 years if weapons from the home were used, which was 10 years fewer than for murders committed in the street or with a weapon brought to the scene.

Killed Women, a campaigning organization led by families of women killed by men, has advocated for these changes. Carole Gould and another family member began collaborating just before the COVID pandemic. Anna Ryder, the former chief executive of Killed Women, became an adviser on violence against women and girls in government earlier this year. The organization launched the "You were told" campaign in 2023, followed by the Fallen Women campaign and a collaboration with the Guardian on its Killed Women Count campaign in 2024.

Dame Nicole Jacobs, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, stated that the sentencing increase would not apply when a victim is killed by a family member. Carole Gould said, "Imagine this was your daughter." She questioned the Justice Secretary directly, stating, "Well, if you've got the power, David, why don't you just level up sentencing all to 25 years?" Lammy responded, "All right, I will." Gould also reflected on her commitment, saying, "I always thought, from that moment onwards: 'I'm going to show you one day this is wrong.'"