Cable Forum - Murder - same crime, different sentence?

Quote:

Three murderers were sentenced to life imprisonment on one day. The minimum terms set were 18, 27 and 40 years. Why were they so different?

On 28 November 2013, in separate courtrooms around England, three men were handed life sentences. Each was given a different minimum tariff before they could be considered for parole.

Lee James, 24, who murdered a disabled neighbour who had been wrongly branded a paedophile, was told he must serve at least 18 years in prison.

Serial conman Rakesh Bhayani, 41, who killed a woman at her flat in London, was ordered to serve a minimum of 27 years.

And Anxiang Du, who murdered a family of four in a revenge attack, was jailed for a minimum of 40 years.

Just been reading this and thought it might be of interest to those who don't already know how sentencing is arrived at and what effect various mitigating factors have.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25315320