Two prisoners who tied up and strangled a Huddersfield child-killer while already serving life sentences for murder have been ordered to spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

Lee Newell, 44, and Gary Smith, 48, were both handed whole life sentences by a judge at Warwick Crown Court for the “chilling” murder of convicted child-killer Subhan Anwar.

Ruling that Newell and Smith should never be considered for parole, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker said: “There is in reality no mitigating factor in either of your cases.”

Gary Smith and Lee Newell, who have both been found guilty of murdering Subhan Anwar in Long Lartin prison
Gary Smith and Lee Newell, who have both been found guilty of murdering Subhan Anwar in Long Lartin prison

Smith and Newell were convicted of murdering Anwar last week following a two-week trial.

Jurors heard that Smith calmly made Newell a cup of hot chocolate - even sweetening it with icing sugar - during a stand-off with prison staff after Anwar was killed in his cell at HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire.

The inmates were also convicted of stealing personal items, including prayer beads, a watch and an earring, from Anwar after choking him to death inside his cell on February 14.

Both defendants refused to leave the cells at Warwick Crown Court to hear that they would never be released for killing Anwar, who was strangled with a pair of tracksuit bottoms.

Sanam Navsarka
Sanam Navsarka


The 24-year-old victim, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, was also serving a life term for murder, having been convicted of killing his partner's two-year-old daughter, Sanam Navsarka,  in their home at Riddings Road in Deighton in 2008.

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During his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Baker said he believed Anwar had not resisted because he mistakenly believed he was being taken hostage.

The judge, who addressed his remarks to Smith and Newell despite their absence from the dock, said: "You pretended that you were there merely to hold him hostage.

"I am quite satisfied that this was merely pretence on both your parts in order to ensure that the deceased didn't resist while you tied him up.

"One of the most chilling aspects of this case was the almost complete lack of emotion shown by either of you after the killing.

"It is against this background that I have to consider whether the circumstances of this murder are such that it is one of those exceptional cases where its seriousness is of such magnitude so as to require the making of a whole life order.

"In my judgment they are - you have both murdered others before, on this occasion you did so in a cold-blooded manner, having deliberately lulled your victim into a false sense of security.

"You both acted in a calm and unemotional manner ... eventually leaving (Anwar's) cell with items of his personal property being worn as trophies of your exploits.

"You, Newell, later laughing about what you had both done.

"In these circumstances the sentence in both of your cases will be that of life imprisonment and I order that the early release provisions shall not apply."