Douglas Vinter

Douglas Gary Vinter (born 1970 in London, England) is a British multiple murderer.

Vinter was first convicted of murder in 1996, having stabbed to death train worker Robert Eden (24) in a middlesbrough railway cabin. At the time, Vinter had been working as a railway signalman. He served nine years in prison for Mr Eden's murder before being released and moving to Teesside.

A year after being released from prison, Vinter married Anne White, but they separated after seven months as their stormy marriage had seen 6'7 tall Vinter attack his wife twice.

On 11 February 2008, Vinter murdered his wife at his mother's home in normanby, Teesside. He had strangled and stabbed her to death while high on drugs and alcohol.

Vinter admitted to his wife's murder at Teesside Crown Court on 21 April 2008. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and the trial judge recommended that he should never be released from prison. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/7359395.stm]

Despite the trial judge's recommendation, a European Court of Human Rights review (which began in early 2007) of lifelong imprisonment is currently underway, and if the court decides that whole life sentencing is a violation of human rights, then Vinter and all other "whole life" prisoners in Europe will have their cases recalled to court for a new minimum term to be set. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/6381409.stm]