Convicted rapist who initially escaped jail among 100 offenders given tougher sentences by Court of Appeal last year
Other cases included a murderer, who was sentenced to 18 months in custody after having initially been given a suspended sentence
A CONVICTED rapist who initially escaped jail with a community order was among 100 offenders given tougher sentences by the Court of Appeal last year.
Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC revealed he had intervened in 136 cases where the verdict was judged to have been “unduly lenient”.
Some 102 criminals were given a tougher sentence on review.
These included a rapist given a two year community order by Birmingham Crown Court, who was later put in jail for three-and-half-years.
Other cases included a murderer, who was sentenced to 18 months in custody after having initially been given a suspended sentence by Bradford Crown Court.
A paedophile let off with a suspended sentence for sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13 was given three years in custody after the Attorney General demanded a rethink.
In all, Jeremy Wright received 713 requests for sentences to be reviewed in 2015 – more than double the number in 2010.
Of those 136 were sent to the Court of Appeal, and 102 resulted in sentence increases.
Mr Wright said: “The Unduly Lenient sentence scheme is essential in ensuring victims, family members of victims and the general public are able to request that sentences they think are unduly lenient can be reviewed and, where necessary, increased.”
Of the 102 cases where Appeal judges issued a tougher sentence, 38 cases related to sexual offences, including 13 rapes.
There were 15 reviews linked to robbery and 13 to firearms offences.
Seven were for murder or manslaughter.