Joanne Dennehy accomplice Gary Stretch loses appeal

Gary Stretch's barrister described him as a "nodding dog" in helping Dennehy (left)

A man jailed alongside "sadistic" triple killer Joanne Dennehy has had his second appeal against the length of his sentence rejected.

Gary Stretch, 48, was jailed for life for attempting to murder Robin Bereza and John Rogers in Hereford, in 2013.

He and Dennehy had sought out the two men at random after she had already killed three men in Peterborough.

An Appeal Court judge said there was no evidence he acted "under duress" and his sentence was appropriate.

Stretch, from Peterborough, who stands 7ft 3in tall, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 19 years in February.

'Condemnatory sentence'

During the trial he was described in court as being a fearful "nodding dog" to Dennehy, who herself was described by police as a "sadistic serial killer with a fearsome personality".

Dennehy murdered Lukasz Slaboszewski, 31, Kevin Lee, 48, and John Chapman, 56, in March 2013 before dumping their bodies in ditches near Peterborough.

She and Stretch then went on the run ending up in Hereford where, on 2 April, Dennehy stabbed Mr Bereza, a 64-year-old former fire service worker.

Within minutes she stabbed 56-year-old Mr Rogers. Both men survived.

At the Court of Appeal hearing, Lord Justice Pitchford said the life sentence handed out to Stretch was appropriate to his crimes.

"The applicant, knowing that Dennehy was a serial killer and for that reason likely to kill again, assisted her to evade justice by concealing the bodies of her three victims.

"We agree with the judge first that the applicant presented a most serous danger to the public and second, that the sentence for the attempted murders must be condemnatory," he said.

"We conclude that it is not arguable that any part of the sentence imposed was inappropriate and for this reason the renewed application for leave to appeal is dismissed."