PASSING two consecutive life sentences on Ian Peters a judge described the killing of Susan and Ellen Peters as "uncontrolled and savage."

The bodies of 29-year-old Susan Peters and her three-year-old daughter Ellen were found next to each other on Susan's bed in their Victorian semi-detached flat in Dudley Road, New Brighton.

Ian Peters, 27, had repeatedly stabbed his wife Susan before strangling defenceless Ellen after a row about a £500 loan.

The Royal Navy chef, who served on the HMS Nelson, had absconded from his Portsmouth base in January and turned up unexpectedly at Susan's flat in New Brighton. Liverpool Crown Court heard how the couple had argued about a cash loan that sent Peters into a violent frenzy.

He attacked Susan, 29, strangling her and stabbing her several times in the neck.

He then turned on Ellen, throttling her before callously shoving the loan form down her throat.

Peters returned to his base by train and went shopping with friends before a chaplain who told him about the murder became suspicious at his lack of emotion.

He was taken back up to Liverpool and quizzed by detectives before being arrested.

Peters initially denied the murders but changed his plea to guilty ahead of the hearing.

Prosecuting, Neil Flewitt QC, said Peters has shown no remorse for the murders and that they were the result of a calculated attack.

He said: "These were cold, calculated and callous killings for which Mr Peters has shown no remorse.

"After he was told about their deaths he went shopping with mates and talked about women and football.

"These are not the actions of a man grieving the loss of his family."

After sentencing was passed, Susan's heartbroken mother Edith Palin yelled from the public gallery: "He should have got more."

Outside, the grieving relatives said the 27-year prison sentence imposed on killer Ian Peters was inadequate.

They said their lives had been devastated by the deaths and had changed forever.

Speaking on behalf of her family Susan's sister Sylvia Palin said in a statement: "Sue and her three-year daughter Ellen were murdered by the hands of a person who should have loved and protected them.

"Our parents have now lost a loving daughter and granddaughter; we have lost a beautiful sister and niece and our children have lost a special aunty and cousin. We miss them both painfully. Our lives have been devastated by their deaths and have changed for ever."

She went on: "Nobody has the right to take a life; but to take the lives of your wife and defenceless young daughter in such a planned and calculated way is pure evil. Ian Peters showed no mercy by his actions.

"No length of time in prison will bring Sue and Ellen back to us, but we find some small comfort in knowing that Peters has been brought to justice. However we feel that the 27-year sentence for the loss of two lives is inadequate."

The family expressed thanks to officers of Merseyside Police's major incident team, singling out Det Supt Peter Currie and Det Chief Inspector Colin Leeman, who led the investigation, for special praise.

Detective Supt Currie said: "It became clear that there was a financial aspect. Indications are that Peters was away in Portsmouth - he had a girlfriend there and his wife and child were like a millstone round his neck.

"He showed no remorse in court.

"It is hard to accept that anyone would kill his wife and it is beyond belief that he could kill his own three-year-old child."