` :Concurrent is used by the BBC, Telegraph, and it's also backed up by a trial transcript. Consecutive doesn't generally make much sense with life sentences, although whole life tariff sentences are quite rare anyway. Concurrent sentences mean they are served at the same time, for example if someone received a twenty year sentence for armed robbery and a five year sentence for possession of cocaine, they would serve their sentences at the same time. If the sentences were consecutive, the prisoner would first serve the twenty year sentence, then serve the five year sentence (or vice versa). Hope that helps, and based on the trial transcript ``concurrent`` is correct. '''' `