Levi Bellfield must never be allowed to marry – and I should know

There is a rare outbreak of unanimity on social media. Save a few lawyers who – correctly – point out that it is not currently against the law, nobody thinks there is a moral case to allow Levi Bellfield to marry in prison.

For many I am sure it is simple. He is serving four whole-life orders for murder and attempted murder and thus to him everyday privileges are forfeit. As he deprived his victims of them. It is part of his punishment.

It might be surprising that the man who led the team that condemned him to those sentences supports their stance yet disagrees with their reasoning – but I do.

While my life as a murder detective was motivated to a degree by a sense of justice, in which punishment and retribution played an obvious role, much more important was the opportunity to safeguard others.

In the case of a serial predator like Bellfield my greatest satisfaction is in knowing that we protected scores of women who would have suffered at his hands had he not been incarcerated.