Jamie Varley, 37, was sentenced to a whole life order for the murder of his adopted 13-month-old son Preston Davey. He joins a list of infamous criminals who have received the same rare punishment, reserved for the most heinous offenders.
The First Whole Life Order: John Thomas Straffen
John Straffen became the first recipient of a whole life order in 1952 after murdering three young schoolgirls in Somerset and Berkshire. He spent 55 years behind bars, becoming the longest-serving prisoner in Britain in 2002. Straffen died in Frankland prison in November 2007 at age 77.
Moors Murderers: Ian Brady and Myra Hindley
Ian Brady and Myra Hindley received whole life orders for the sadistic murders of children in Manchester between 1963 and 1965. Their victims, aged 10 to 17, were assaulted and buried on Saddleworth Moor. The body of 12-year-old Keith Bennett was never found. Hindley died after 36 years in prison; Brady died in Ashworth Hospital in 2017 after 51 years total behind bars.
Dennis Nilsen: The Muswell Hill Murderer
Dennis Nilsen received a whole life order in 1994 for murdering up to 15 young men and boys between 1978 and 1983. He was caught after human remains clogged his apartment drains. Nilsen died in York Hospital in 2018 after 35 years in prison.
Rose West: Torture and Murder
Rose West and her husband Fred were convicted of torture-murders from 1973 to 1987, including the killing of her stepdaughter. Initially given a minimum 25-year term in 1995, her sentence was upgraded to a whole life order two years later. West is still alive in New Hall Prison after 31 years.
Peter Sutcliffe: The Yorkshire Ripper
Peter Sutcliffe murdered 13 women and attacked seven others from 1975 to 1980. Caught in 1981, he was convicted of 13 murders and sentenced to life. His minimum 30-year term was upgraded to a whole life order in 2010. Sutcliffe died from diabetes complications in November 2020.
Harold Shipman: Doctor of Death
Harold Shipman, the UK's worst serial killer, was convicted of murdering 215 patients in the 1990s. He received a life sentence in 2000 with a recommendation for no release, confirmed by Home Secretary David Blunkett in 2002. Shipman hanged himself in prison in January 2004.
Levi Bellfield: Double Whole Life Order
Levi Bellfield received a whole life order for murdering two women between 2003 and 2004. In 2011, he became the first Brit to receive a second whole life order for the murder of 13-year-old Millie Dowler.
Michael Adebolajo: Murder of Lee Rigby
Michael Adebolajo was given a whole life order for hacking soldier Lee Rigby to death in Woolwich in 2013. His accomplice, Michael Adebowale, received a minimum 45-year sentence. Adebolajo is held at HMP Frankland; Adebowale is at Broadmoor Hospital.
Lucy Letby: Multiple Whole Life Orders
Lucy Letby received multiple whole life orders in 2023 for murdering seven newborns and attempting to murder six others at Countess of Chester Hospital. She was the first woman given such a sentence in a Crown Court with TV cameras present. In 2024, she received a 15th whole life order after a retrial.
Mark Fellows, David Taylor, and Lee Newell
In 2026, Fellows, Taylor, and Newell received whole life orders for killing child murderer Kyle Bevan, 33, in prison. The trio stabbed Bevan more than 25 times. Fellows and Newell were already serving whole life orders.
