THE judge will have to choose which of three kinds of sentence he gives the girl who killed Katie Rough when she returns to court on July 20.

Mr Justice Soole can pass a sentence of custody for life, the child equivalent of a life sentence.

He would have to set the minimum time she must spend in custody before she can be released.

After her release, she would be on prison licence for the rest of her life and could be recalled to custody if the Parole Board believe her behaviour justifies it.

He could pass an extended custodial sentence, for which he would have to set the maximum time she would spend in custody. She would be released at some stage during the sentence and be on prison licence until the end of the maximum time, but would then have an extra period of supervision of up to five years. She could be recalled to custody at any time up to the end of the extra supervision.

He could detain her under the Mental Health Act by making a hospital order. He can only do this if two doctors agree she has a mental condition that can be treated in hospital and if one of them can offer her a bed in a psychiatric unit.

If he makes a sentence that sends her into child and later adult custody, the prison authorities can transfer her to a psychiatric hospital if they believe that she needs mental health treatment.