MARK Hobson nearly became a murderer more than two years before embarking on the killing binge which shocked a nation.

It was only prompt medical attention that saved an earlier victim, William Brace, stabbed five times in front of horrified Selby shoppers.

Yet Hobson was sentenced to only 100 hours of unpaid community work and a two-year probation order. Mr Brace's family were appalled, condemning the punishment as "a slap on the wrist".

Now the rest of Britain shares their horror. Had Hobson been given the lengthy spell in jail his violent outburst merited, he would not have been free to commit four of the most savage murders ever seen in North Yorkshire.

The Government says it has since toughened the sentencing on violent crime. That is scant comfort for the families of Hobson's victims. Their ordeal is beyond imagining, but they have borne it with astonishing bravery.

We must pay tribute, too, to the remarkably dignified way the affected communities have responded to these shattering events.

North Yorkshire police also deserve our thanks. They had never before been confronted with the like of these crimes.

Detectives knew from Hobson's "hit list" he was likely to kill again. Despite being swamped with potential leads, they brought the manhunt to an end without any more blood being shed. That is to their great credit.

Now Hobson will be sentenced to life imprisonment. It must mean life. He cannot be allowed to escape true justice again.

Updated: 10:42 Tuesday, April 19, 2005