THE DAUGHTER of murdered York pensioners James and Joan Britton said she could finally grieve in peace following an appeal court's decision that "life means life" for Mark Hobson.

Today, Catherine Wilkins was speaking after the nation's most senior judge, The Lord Chief Justice, ruled the former dustman's two double murders were "so horrific" he deserved to spend his "whole life" behind bars.

"Now we can get on with things," she said. "We are no longer waiting for things to happen. The ruling has put an end to it all."

As revealed in later editions of last night's Evening Press, Lord Phillips said Hobson's lawyers had "realistically" accepted "that a murder might be so heinous that a whole life term would be appropriate despite a guilty plea".

Lord Phillips said: "The facts of these four murders are so horrific that a whole life order was inevitable, guilty plea or no."

Hobson, now 36, killed his girlfriend Claire Sanderson by striking her repeatedly with a hammer and suffocating her with a plastic bag on July 10, 2004.

On July 17, he lured her sister, Diane, to his flat in Camblesforth where he struck her over the head and sexually tortured her before suffocating her. The next day he broke into the Britton's home in Strensall and struck them with a walking stick and knife.

"The damage that he had done was incalculable and the enormity of what he had done was beyond words," said Lord Phillips.

After the decision was announced, Catherine said: "We are so pleased that we have got the result we were hoping for. Mark Hobson horrifically and sadistically murdered four people without compunction.

"He did not give himself up and went on the run for a week. He has never shown any remorse or given any explanation for his actions.

"The evidence against him was so overwhelming that he had no option but to plead guilty. Admitting his guilt does not change the fact that he is a callous, vicious murderer and his victims suffered horrendously.

"He did not deserve any compassion for pleading guilty. He did not show any towards his victims. We feel a great sense of relief knowing that he will never be released."

George and Jacqueline Sanderson, the parents of Claire and Diane, said: "We are pleased with the judgment and that justice has been done. Our thoughts are with the family of the Brittons.

"We give heartfelt thanks to everyone who has helped, especially the legal team and every officer and person who took part in the investigation. We now ask for privacy and that the family be allowed to grieve in peace."

Updated: 09:49 Thursday, December 01, 2005