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For the victims of serious crimes, or the loved ones of those whose lives have been taken away by such offences, seeing the individual responsible be brought into court to receive their punishment is an important part of the criminal justice process.

However, offenders can refuse to leave their prison cell, meaning that judges are force to pass sentence in a defendant’s absence, and those affected by their crimes are deprived of the closure that can come with facing the individual responsible in court.

Jermaine Richards, aged 31, of Wordsworth Drive, Parson Cross, Sheffield, was given two opportunities to attend Sheffield Crown Court to be sentenced for the murder of David Ford, and serious assault upon Mr Ford’s son, Ryan, but declined to attend on both occasions.

Calls for 'cowardly' criminals like Sheffield murderer Jermaine Richards to be forced to attend court