THE family of murdered Ellie Gould has spoken at their anger after losing their fight to get a longer sentence for her killer.

In a statement they said: "We are bitterly disappointed that once again the British Justice system has not only let us but also the nation down.

"When the Attorney General quotes in his letter to us that Griffiths’ crime not only shocked him, but also the nation, yet doesn’t feel it is appropriate to refer it to the court of appeal to have the lenient sentence reviewed, there is something very wrong with Criminal Justice in Britain today.

"All we can do as a family is fight Griffiths’ parole when the time comes, to keep such a dangerous individual off Britain’s streets and keep the public safe.

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank both the British Public and the global support we have received in the way of messages, emails and letters."

Mrs Gould had asked the Attorney General to send the case against Thomas Griffiths, who stabbed her daughter Ellie, 17, to death in her own home in Calne, to the Court of Appeal. But this morning she received an email and letter saying this was not being allowed.

She said: "I have done everything I could to get this reheard. I feel let down but I want to thank Gazette readers and others who have supported us."

Griffiths was given a life sentence and told he would serve twelve and a half years by a judge last month. But Mrs Gould asked the Attorney General to decide this sentence was unduly lenient.

A statement from the Attorney General's office today said: "After careful consideration the Attorney General has concluded that he could not refer this case to the Court of Appeal.

"A referral under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme to the Court of Appeal can only be made if a sentence is not just lenient but unduly so, such that the sentencing judge made a gross error or imposed a sentence outside the range of sentences reasonably available in the circumstances of the offence. The threshold is a high one, and the test was not met in this case.”

Griffiths, who was a fellow pupil at Hardenhuish School, Chippenham, had been Ellie's boyfriend but she had ended their relationship the day before her death in May at her home in Calne.