A man who murdered the parents and brother of a bride hours after her wedding in Sheffield has lost a legal bid to overturn a ruling that he must die behind bars.
Three judges in the Court of Appeal in London rejected arguments made on behalf of killer Arthur Hutchinson that he should not be the subject of a "whole life" tariff.
Hutchinson, now 67, was sentenced to life in 1984 for stabbing to death solicit
or Basil Laitner, his wife Avril and son Richard at their home in Dore.
Earlier this year a judge in the High Court, who reviewed the tariff to be served, ruled that in Hutchinson's case life must mean life.
Hartlepool-born Hutchinson unsuccessfully applied for permission to appeal against that decision of Mr Justice Tugendhat - arguing that the trial judge's original recommendation of an 18-year minimum prison term was the correct sentence.
Hutchinson committed the murders at the Laitner family home hours after they had hosted the wedding reception of their daughter Suzanne.
Lord Justice Dyson, sitting with Mr Justice Henriques and Mr Justice Openshaw, described it as a "truly horrific case" and said there was "no substance" in the application.
He announced: "This was a truly shocking case. In the experience of all three members of this court we can say that none of us is aware of a case of greater gravity or more heinous than this case.
"In our judgment Mr Justice Tugendhat was plainly correct in saying that this applicant should spend the rest of his life in custody without prospect of release."
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