Prisoners who killed fellow inmate
will spend rest of their lives in jail

Lee Newell, 44, and Gary Smith, 48, were both handed whole life sentences by a judge at Warwick Crown Court for the “chilling” murder of convicted child-killer Subhan Anwar.

Ruling that Newell and Smith should never be considered for parole, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker said: “There is in reality no mitigating factor in either of your cases.”

Smith and Newell were convicted of murdering Anwar last week following a two-week trial.

Jurors heard that Smith calmly made Newell a cup of hot chocolate – even sweetening it with icing sugar – during a stand-off with prison staff after Anwar was killed in his cell at HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire.

The inmates were also convicted of stealing personal items, including prayer beads, a watch and an earring, from Anwar after choking him to death inside his cell on February 14.

Both defendants refused to leave the cells at Warwick Crown Court to hear that they would never be released for killing Anwar.

The 24-year-old, from Huddersfield, was also serving a life term for the murder of his partner’s two-year-old daughter in 2008.

During his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Baker said he believed Anwar had not resisted because he mistakenly believed he was being taken hostage.

The judge, who addressed his remarks to Smith and Newell despite their absence, said: “One of the most chilling aspects of this case was the almost complete lack of emotion shown by either of you after the killing.”