Serious criminals could STILL get 50% off jail terms as Cameron and Clarke thrash out deal
Victims: Gabriel Browne confronted Ken Clarke over the sentence reduction plans that will now go ahead
Thousands of serious criminals could still see their prison terms halved under a compromise being thrashed out between David Cameron and Ken Clarke.
A deal in principle has been agreed between the Prime Minister, the Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg that will hand increased discounts to some offenders who plead guilty early.
They could include some violent offenders, burglars and even sex criminals, including child pornographers.
Mr Cameron ordered a rethink of Mr Clarke's initial plans after public fury that rapists would have their sentences cut in half.
But his hope that the entire plan could be scrapped has been scuppered because Mr Clarke would have to make £130million of cuts elsewhere.
The row began when rape victim Gabrielle Browne confronted Mr Clarke on a radio phone-in, denouncing his plans as 'a disaster'.
But she later met the Justice Secretary and said she had changed her mind because rapists pleading guilty early would spare victims the ordeal of a trial.
At present, criminals who plead guilty early can have their prison terms cut by a third.
The preliminary deal on increased sentence discounts, agreed on Tuesday, excludes rapists.
Ministers are now thrashing out the 'finer detail' of which types of offenders will be included.
Thrashed out: Ken Clarke has reached a compromise with Mr Cameron over sentence reduction plans, which will delay a Tory repositioning on law and order
But officials admit that to save enough money, they will have to include thousands who have committed serious crimes.
One senior Government source said ministers were 'looking at' limiting the increased discount to those who commit crimes that typically attract a sentence of four years or less.
But that could still benefit 6,000 violent thugs and 1,700 sex offenders a year.
Another option would see all violent or sex offenders excluded – but that might mean others with longer sentences getting the 50 per cent reductions.
Whitehall sources say this could mean people guilty of grievous bodily harm and pedlars of child pornography slipping through the net.
How the Mail reported the initial furore in the wake of Ken Clarke's comments in a radio interview
A senior source made clear that Mr Cameron, Mr Clarke and Mr Clegg will have to compromise, adding: 'Rape has gone, that's definite, but the rest is still being finalised.
'Whatever is finally decided is going to be hard to swallow. No one will win.'
The failure to sign off the details has thrown Mr Cameron's crime relaunch into chaos.
The Prime Minister was due to make a speech to reclaim the Tory mantle as the party of law and order next week.
But this will be pushed back because his sentencing review, due on Friday, is now likely to be delayed until early next week.
MoJ officials have been told to draw up recommendations for what else could be cut to pay for the U-turn.
Shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan said: 'It is not right that people committing very serious crimes could still get away with half the time knocked off their sentence for pleading guilty early.
'There is no evidence this unjust policy will work and the Government should drop it in its entirety.'
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