Murder convict seeking parole, gets extra 40-year term

A convict who was jailed for 27 years for murdering a British tourist during a botched robbery incident approached a US court for parole on grounds of leniency, claiming to have become a transformed person. The judge, however, opted to add 40 more years to his term.

The botched robbery had been carried out in Florida 20 years ago.

Aundra Akins, who was just 14 when he gunned down holidaymaker Gary Colley in 1993, was imprisoned for 27 years four years later - the maximum sentence he could receive as a juvenile. On Saturday, Akins appeared in court again. But Judge Karen Gievers added 40 years onto his existing sentence, Daily Mail reported.

The 34-year-old was told there was no hope of parole.

A court official at Jefferson County Court said: "Aundra Akins was sentenced to 40 years to run consecutively to his previous sentence of 27 years for the murder of Gary Colley."

Margaret Jagger, Colley's girlfriend at the time, who was also injured in the incident said: "Both he and I have served time in different ways. My sentence will never end."

Akins reportedly told the judge Saturday that at the time he did not comprehend the magnitude of what happened, but said he now does.