McGrath, Harvey: There would be no pleasure in killing the guy. However, there would be a great deal of relief in knowing that he wasn't free to rape and murder any more women. Please remember that not only did he rape and murder her, he took pleasure in doing so, and was proud of having done it.

Harvey, being a Jew/black/child is not a crime, nor does being one brutalise and kill other people. Please don't be ridiculous.

The primary purpose of criminal punishment is to keep society safe, and for some dangerous criminals who show no remorse for their actions and/or have committed such heinous crimes that they can never again be trusted to live in society, the only way to keep the rest of society safe is to ensure they are never allowed back into society. Locking up for life is one way of achieving this. Judicial murder is another way.

Personally, my only problem with judicial murder is ensuring that the person is actually guilty. There are too many cases in the past where the police have, either deliberately or accidentally, got things horribly wrong. However if the evidence is overwhelming and the criminal not only admits to doing the crime but also takes pride in it, I don't have a problem. Is it worse to kill the person cleanly than to let them suffer in some hell-hole for the next 60 years?

Graham.