Data taken from the police national computer (PNC) show that 10 people convicted of homicide (covering murder, manslaughter and infanticide) between 2000 and 2008 had previously received a life sentence for an earlier offence. It is not possible to give complete data where those already in prison may have been convicted of a further homicide.
These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police. Data before 2000 are not available.
Further information on homicides is collected and published by the Home Office and can be found at:
www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb0209.pdf