It is not looking good for Bernie

I love American prison sentences, especially the ones where the perp gets 10,000 years without parole. Bernie Madoff could be looking at 150 years.

Victims of Bernard Madoff's $65bn (£47bn) fraud poured vitriol on the disgraced financier today as they outlined the devastation he wreaked on their lives.

The judge handling the Madoff case received letters and emails from more than 100 former Madoff clients. Some urged the judge to sentence Madoff to life, at a hearing scheduled for 29 June. Others called him "a thief", "a monster", "a psychopathic, lying egomaniac".

Stephanie Halio, 67, said her health was suffering from the stress of having lost all her savings in Madoff's Ponzi scheme. "Please allow justice to be served by not allowing this monster to receive anything but the maximum sentence. If he were to go to jail for a thousand years it would not be enough to compensate for his crimes," Halio wrote.

Carla R Hirschhorn, who has lost money put aside to help her children through college, said Madoff had caused her and her family "serious physical and emotional problems" requiring medical care.

"Please do not fail us. Assure that Madoff is sentenced for the maximum possible time and that he is required to serve his sentence in a maximum security prison. This is not a man who deserves a federal country club," Hirschhorn said. Madoff pleaded guilty to conducting the biggest fraud in US history in March and could receive a sentence of 150 years.