Watkins, 37, said through his solicitor Sally O'Neill QC that he was treated too harshly by judge Justice Royce, who handed down the minimum 29-year jail term as well as an additional six years on licence.

According to the BBC, she told the court that while his offences were serious, they "were not the worst that could happen." She also argued that Watkins deserved a reduced sentence for his guilty plea, which avoided the need for disturbing evidence to be produced in court.