An appeal has been launched for the “lenient” sentence of sex killer Christopher Halliwell to be increased.
Taxi driver Halliwell, 48, was jailed for a minimum of 25 years in October for the brutal murder of nightclubber Sian O’Callaghan.
He also confessed to killing missing prostitute Becky Godden-Edwards and even led officers to where he buried her.
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But a police gaffe meant the charge in the Godden-Edwards case had to be dropped.
The CPS has now revealed it referred Halliwell’s sentence to the Attorney General who, in turn, has referred it to the Court of Appeal.
Nick Hawkins, chief crown prosecutor for CPS Wessex, said: “Christopher Halliwell was sentenced on October 19, 2012, to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years for the murder of Sian O’Callaghan.
“The Crown Prosecution Service Wessex, after careful consideration, has referred this sentence to the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve QC MP, under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme.
“Mr Grieve QC, after consideration of our submission, has made an application to the Court of Appeal to consider whether this sentence was unduly lenient.”
Halliwell abducted and killed Sian in a frenzied attack in Swindon, Wiltshire, last year.
He eventually directed to Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher to the spot where he buried her body in Uffington, Oxon, – before asking if he wanted “another one”.
The deviant then showed Mr Fulcher and his colleagues a spot in a farmer’s field in Eastleach, Glos., where he had buried Becky Godden-Edwards.
He told police he had killed Becky between 2003 and 2005, after picking her up when she was working as a prostitute.
Halliwell was then taken to Gablecross police station in Swindon, Wilts., where he was granted legal representation. He has since refused to answer any further questions.
Defence teams instructed by Halliwell launched a two prong attack on the actions of police – stating that he could not receive a fair trial.
Since the case, Wiltshire Police has apologised to Ms Godden’s family while Halliwell’s daughter has appealed to him to tell the family what happened.
