Terence Rooney, a teenager from Prenton, was handed a life sentence in 1997 for the murder of one cellmate and the attempted murder of another while detained in young offenders' institutions. Prosecutors said his motive was a sadistic sense of power.
Attacks on Vulnerable Cellmates
In March 1995, while held at Werrington Young Offenders Institution in Stoke-on-Trent, Rooney attempted to murder his 17-year-old cellmate, John Jones, by hanging him from a noose made of torn bedsheets. Jones survived and was later moved to Stoke Heath Young Offenders Institution in Market Drayton.
At Stoke Heath, Rooney was placed in a cell with 16-year-old Christopher Greenaway, of Stoke-on-Trent, who was addicted to heroin and described as vulnerable and disturbed. Over 12 days, Rooney tormented Christopher, ordering him to call him master, towel whipping him, punching him, and bragging to other inmates about torturing him every night.
Discovery and Trial
On October 2 1995, Christopher was found hanged in the toilet cubicle of his cell. Rooney called it suicide, but other inmates reported hearing Christopher's screams, with one hearing him shout "get off" and "stop it", and another hearing him yell "Rooney is my master".
At Stafford Crown Court in February 1997, Rooney pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder. The jury was shown a letter in which Rooney admitted to "purely torturing" Christopher, though he claimed in his defence this referred to childish name-calling. He said he was asleep when Christopher hanged himself and denied attempting to murder John Jones, claiming they had planned to fake a suicide attempt to be moved to better institutions.
Sentencing and Appeals
Rooney was found guilty of attempted murder on February 4 1997 and of murder one day later. Justice Richard Rougier handed him a life sentence with a minimum term of 18 years, plus a concurrent 12 years for the attempted murder. He said: "I find it horrifying someone as young can be so heartless and so evil."
In October 2009, Rooney failed in a bid to reduce his minimum term at London's High Court. In October 2014, he attempted to overturn his conviction, but Lord Justice Treacy described his appeal as "unmeritorious", noting similar evidence had already been placed before the jury.
