FAMILY of murder victim Ellie Gould have welcomed a bid by the Justice Secretary to create Ellie’s Law to make sure teenage killers get longer jail terms.

Carole and Matthew Gould were devastated when Thomas Griffiths was told he may only serve 12 years after admitting to Ellie’s murder at her home in Calne. With the backing of the Gazette they tried to get an appeal into his sentence but were refused.

But now Robert Buckland is likely to propose increasing the starting point for determining sentences for 15-17 year olds, who commit murder from a minimum of 12 years to nearer to the 15 year minimum set for adults, under plans expected to be unveiled next month.

Ellie was murdered in 2019 by her former boyfriend, Griffiths, who was 17 at the time and a fellow pupil at Hardenhuish School in Chippenham.

Mrs Gould welcomed the Ellie’s Law news and said: “The changes to sentencing is a really positive step.”

She has kept in constant contact with Mr Buckland, who is MP for South Swindon, since Griffiths’ sentencing and Mr Buckland.

In January he said: “I would hope that something positive can come out of this horrendous crime. I hope that lessons can be learnt that will help other families in the future.

“I have every admiration for the Goulds and the way they they are so determined but have carried themselves in such a dignified way.” Mr Buckland also agreed at the time to look at sentencing rules for older teenagers.

He has declined to comment on Ellie’s Law. But The Daily Telegraph reported that according to a Whitehall insider Mr Buckland is concerned that “highly mature” killers can be treated the same as younger offenders.

He said: “What they are looking at is young offenders who commit murder and whether there is anything more that can be done to take a more graded approach as they get older.”

“If you committed murder as a youth then you are sentenced under youth principles, meaning the starting point is lower than someone over 18. The question is whether that should be higher the closer you get to 18.

“You might have somebody who is highly mature for their age, and yet they are being treated as if they were a 13 or 14 year old.

“Rather than ending the distinction between young offenders and adults, it’s about looking at that age group between 15 and 17, whether there is a slightly higher starting point that judges could then apply and use their discretion.”

While the number of cases involving teenage murderers is small, in recent years a number of families of murder victims have expressed their anger at the sentences handed down in British courts.

They include the family of Ellie, 17, whose ex-boyfriend Thomas Griffiths was jailed for 12-and-half years in November last year after he admitted to stabbing her to death in a frenzied knife attack.

His case was referred to the Attorney General’s office under the unduly lenient scheme.

However, it was ruled that the case could not be referred to the Court of Appeal due to the current sentencing guidelines, with Ms Gould’s family stating that they had been left “bitterly disappointed.”

Speaking at the time, Ellie’s mother, Carole Gould, said the legal process was a “crazy system” where under-18-year-olds “have the same starting point” as younger children, adding: “There’s a huge difference between a 10-year-old and an 18-year-old. And really, the laws need to be changed.”

Ellie was from Calne, Wiltshire, which neighbours Mr Buckland’s constituency of South Swindon, although an MOJ source said his thinking had not been influenced by any individual case.

Concerns over lesser sentences for younger murderers were also raised this week when Hashem Abedi, the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, escaped being sent to jail for the rest of his life because he was aged 20, rather than 21, at the time of the attack.

The current law prevents criminals under 21 from being handed a whole life term without parole.

Mr Buckland is understood to be looking at the issue, although he declined to comment when approached last night.

The proposals are expected to be included in a sentencing white paper to be published towards the end of September.

The murder that inspired Buckland to act

The murder of Ellie Gould, a 17-year-old teenager from Calne, Wiltshire, is believed to be weighing on the Justice Secretary’s mind as he considers changes to the youth offenders sentencing regime.

Her murder in May last year, at the hands of ex-boyfriend, Thomas Griffiths, sent shockwaves through the local community, which neighbours Mr Buckland’s constituency of South Swindon.

During his trial, the court heard how Griffiths, 17 at the time of the murder, had strangled Ellie at her home before repeatedly stabbing her in the neck at least 13 times.

He attempted to clean up the crime scene and returned home, telling a neighbour that scratches to his neck, sustained during a struggle, were the result of self-harm.

Ellie was found by her father, Matthew, who returned home to find his daughter lying motionless on the floor. Griffiths was arrested outside a friend’s home that evening.

In November 2019, Griffiths pleaded guilty to murder and was jailed for a minimum of 12 and a half years at Bristol Crown Court.

During sentencing the judge told Griffiths: “The effects of your actions have not only snuffed out the life of this talented girl... but loaded pain on her friends and family.”