Tag: Attorney General

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 13 October 2023.

A convicted sex offender has been ordered to spend longer in prison after his case was reviewed by the Court of Appeal.

Michael King (57), from East London, has seen his prison sentence for multiple sexual offences increase to 19 years after the Solicitor General referred his conviction as being unduly lenient.

King was sentenced on 14 July 2023 at St Albans Crown Court to 16 years, plus an extended licence period of 4 years.

He was convicted of having sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, attempted sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, indecency with a child, and indecent assault.

The court heard the offences were committed in the early 1990s when the offender was 25 and the victim was nine or 10.

Solicitor General, Michael Tomlinson KC MP, said:

The offender is a dangerous predator who preyed on a child for his own sexual gratification. I was appalled by this case and the court has rightfully concluded that he should serve longer behind bars.

On Thursday 12 October 2023, the Court of Appeal increased King’s sentence to 19 years after it was referred under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. His four-year extended license remained unchanged

On 16 May 2023, King was convicted after a trial of seven counts of having sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, contrary to section 5 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956; attempting to commit such an offence; four counts of indecency with a child, contrary to section 1 of the Indecency with Children Act 1960; and three counts of indecent assault, contrary to section 14 of the 1956 Act.

The press release issued by the Attorney General on 6 October 2023.

A drug dealer who sold cocaine worth nearly half-a-million pounds before fleeing to evade arrest has his sentence increased after Court of Appeal intervened.

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 22 September 2023.

The Attorney General confirms the requirement not to publish material which could prejudice any potential criminal investigation or prosecutions.

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 20 September 2023.

Attorney General Victoria Prentis KC has delivered the UK’s submissions in a hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague today.

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 14 September 2023.

Stephen Parkinson will be the new Director of Public Prosecutions and head of the Crown Prosecution Service the Attorney General has announced today.

Rt Hon Victoria Prentis KC MP selected Mr Parkinson following an open and transparent competition. It is expected that he will take up the appointment from 1 November for an initial term of five years. He will succeed the outgoing DPP, Max Hill KC.

The Attorney General Rt Hon Victoria Prentis KC MP said:

Stephen Parkinson brings a unique combination of legal expertise and public service at the highest levels, demonstrated most recently as Senior Partner at law firm Kingsley Napley LLP, and having spent numerous years in three of the Law Officers’ Departments: the Attorney General’s Office, Treasury Solicitor’s Department and as a prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) itself.

Stephen has had a stellar legal career both in and outside of government as well as experience of both prosecuting and defending. Combining this with his extensive track record of leadership, I have every confidence he will be a collaborative director and a principled and independent chief prosecutor. The public will rightly expect nothing less.

He will build on the achievements of Max Hill to whom I am grateful. The role of DPP requires exceptional qualities of judgement and character. I am looking forward to working with the new Director.

The CPS prosecutes criminal cases that have been investigated by the police and other investigative organisations in England and Wales. The CPS is independent and makes its decisions independently of the police and government.

Mr Parkinson said:

I am delighted and honoured to be appointed as the next Director of Public Prosecutions. Both as a prosecutor and defender I have always strongly believed in the importance of the CPS in bringing to justice and prosecuting fairly those accused of crime.

I would like to pay tribute to the work that Max Hill has done leading the CPS successfully through the challenges of the Pandemic and setting a clear direction for the future. I look forward to building on his legacy.

Note to Editors

• As set out in the Criminal Justice Act 1987, the Attorney General appoints the DPP.
• The current DPP, Max Hill KC, will serve his full five-year term, which is due to end in October 2023.

Stephen Parkinson Biography

Experience

Senior Partner, Kingsley Napley LLP 2018 – 2023

Head of Criminal Litigation Practice Area, Kingsley Napley 2006 – 2018

Deputy Legal Secretary (SCS, Grade 3) 1999 – 2003

Government Legal Department, Group Head, Litigation Division 1996-1999

Department of Trade and Industry – Assistant Solicitor 1992-1996

Crown Prosecution Service – Head of International Co-operation Unit 1991-1992

Education

University College London, LLB 1976 – 1979

Inns of Court School of Law, Barrister 1979 – 1980

Pupillage, 3 Temple Gardens 1980 – 1982

Qualified as Solicitor 2005

Biography

Stephen Parkinson is a practicing lawyer with a long and distinguished career which began in the CPS as a junior Prosecutor.

He has most recently been Senior Partner at law firm Kingsley Napley LLP where he has represented a number of high-profile clients.

His last 20 years as a defence lawyer have built on the skills and experience that he gained from his years working as a prosecutor, and he has developed an extensive practice advising on, or undertaking, investigations for organisations, companies and individuals which will be a strength in his role as DPP.

He accumulated a wealth of experience in Government, including roles in the Treasury Solicitor’s Department, where he was responsible for most of the Government’s regulatory litigation, and also the Department of Trade and Industry, where he headed a team providing legal advice in live company investigations.

In the CPS, he progressed from junior prosecutor to the head of the International Co-Operation Unit and also spent two periods in the Attorney General’s Office, with his last post being as deputy head of the department.

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 11 September 2023.

A man who got behind the wheel with a lethal cocktail of alcohol and drugs in his system before killing a girl he had met on the same night has had his sentence increased.

Keilan Roberts (22), from Rhymney, Caerphilly County, has had his three years and nine months prison sentence overturned by the Court of Appeal and increased to five years and three months after the Solicitor General referred the original sentence as being unduly lenient.

Roberts also saw his driving disqualification increased from 10 years to 12 years and seven-and-a-half months.

The court heard that on the evening of 24 July 2022, Keilan Roberts met Chloe Hayman in a nightclub while on a night out in Pontypridd, Wales.

The pair had been given a lift home by a mutual friend before Keilan Roberts and Chloe Hayman continued their journey in Keilan Roberts’ car.

But as Keilan Roberts approached a cattle grid just outside Fochriw, near Bargoed, Caerphilly, he mounted the kerb and collided with a metal railing and stone wall.  Chloe Hayman sustained grave injuries and died at the scene.

Keilan Robert’s blood sample taken at his arrest showed he had a lethal cocktail of alcohol and drugs in his system.

The Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP said:

“This was a tragic case where a young person died because of the offender’s careless actions. I want to express my sincere sympathies to Chloe’s family for their loss.

“When you get behind the wheel of a car while under the influence you are not only putting yourself in danger but your passengers and everyone else on the road. The court’s decision to increase the sentence should serve as a strong warning that reckless behaviour will be punished to the full extent of the law.”

Keilan Roberts pleaded guilty to four counts of causing death by careless driving and was sentenced on 6 June 2023 at Newport Crown Court to three years and nine months imprisonment. He also was disqualified from driving for 10 years.

On 8 September 2023, the Court of Appeal increased Keilan Roberts’ sentence after it was referred under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 7 August 2023.

A woman who permanently blinded a taxi driver in one eye after a frenzied attack with her high heels has been jailed for three years.

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 27 July 2023.

Prosecutors from the North East have been showcasing their expertise securing convictions in complex cases as the Attorney General discovered on a recent visit.

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 17 July 2023.

Diverse routes into law and how the work of government lawyers impacts all aspects of public life were themes discussed by the Attorney General as she spoke to the Open University’s law students.

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 10 July 2023.

The Attorney General Victoria KC MP speaks about improved service for victims of rape and serious sexual offences.

From Attorney General Victoria Prentis KC MP

In the criminal justice system, increasing rape prosecutions and convictions is our job. Increasing victims’ confidence in the system and achieving justice; that’s also our duty.

Any crime can have a long-lasting impact on its victims, but for those affected by rape and serious sexual offences, the damage can run particularly deep and stay with survivors for the rest of their lives. They deserve justice.

But I hear the same disheartening message from the survivors I speak to around the country—that the road to justice can be is so long and so difficult that they feel there is no point in reporting these offences.

That is why this government has committed to making the system work better for people – and two years on from the Government’s End to End Rape Review, strong progress has been made to transform the response to rape. But we want to go further – and today we are announcing further measures to make that possible.

We know better joint-working between the Police and CPS leads to more perpetrators facing justice. So a new National Operating Model produced through Operation Soteria, a project to transform the way these complex cases are handled, is being rolled out to every police force and every rape prosecutor across England and Wales.

The support starts when these crimes are reported. Frontline investigators will now have step-by-step guidance on conducting these sensitive investigations, and 2,000 officers will undergo specialist training in rape and sexual offences. A step-by-step toolkit will ensure that investigations are focused on the conduct of the suspect and mindful of the rights and privacy of the victims.

Before cases go to trial, victims now have the right to meetings with prosecution teams to ask questions and raise concerns. Victims can also seek support from trained professionals on a 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line. And we are again increasing access to Independent Sexual Violence Advisers who can offer tailored, practical support.

When it is time for the trial, specialist rape prosecutors can put their expertise to work. And victims can claim expenses, including childcare costs, incurred by appearing in court.

At the conclusion of the trial, even more victims in Specialist Sexual Violence Courts will have the option to attend sentencing hearings remotely. No one should have to feel unsafe to access justice.

I feel deeply the concerns and anxieties of survivors when it comes to engaging with the criminal justice system. It is to them that I say– I cannot promise you that it will be easy, but support is available. Justice is available.