Starting points
4(1)If—
(a)the court considers that the seriousness of the offence (or the combination of the offence and one or more offences associated with it) is exceptionally high, and
(b)the offender was aged 21 or over when he committed the offence,
the appropriate starting point is a whole life order.
(2)Cases that would normally fall within sub-paragraph (1)(a) include—
(a)the murder of two or more persons, where each murder involves any of the following—
(i)a substantial degree of premeditation or planning,
(ii)the abduction of the victim, or
(iii)sexual or sadistic conduct,
(b)the murder of a child if involving the abduction of the child or sexual or sadistic motivation,
(c)a murder done for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause, or
(d)a murder by an offender previously convicted of murder.