Tag: Attorney General

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

The Court of Appeal has been asked to provide clarity on when a particular defence to criminal damage is available for use by protesters, the Attorney General has announced today.

Attorney General Rt Hon Victoria Prentis KC MP has asked the Court’s Criminal Division to consider whether claims that protesters honestly believed organisations affected by their stunts would have consented to the damage – if they had known more about the impact of climate change – can be a defence in court.

This argument has been used by environmental campaign groups in the last year, resulting in acquittals for criminal damage.

The Attorney General has asked the Court to provide some clarity on the law as guidance for future cases.

Attorney General Rt Hon Victoria Prentis KC MP said:

I have made this reference as it is important that the law is clear and fairly applied. I look forward to the Court of Appeal considering this issue, and would like to emphasise that regardless of the outcome of this reference, it cannot affect those who have been acquitted through the usual trial process.

It will now be for the independent Court of Appeal to consider any submissions made.

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

The King has approved the government appointment of Robert Courts MP as Solicitor General for England and Wales.

The Solicitor General supports the Attorney General in her role as the Government’s chief legal adviser. Alongside the Attorney, the Solicitor General oversees the work of the Law Officers’ Departments: the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office, the Government Legal Department and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate.

The Solicitor General also carries out a number of functions in the public interest—such as considering whether to refer unduly lenient sentences to the Court of Appeal—and taking action when there has been a contempt of court. These functions are carried out independently of the Solicitor’s role as a Government Minister.

Commenting on his appointment, Robert said:

It is a great privilege to have been appointed as Solicitor General for England and Wales.

It is a fascinating time to join the department alongside new leaders at the Serious Fraud Office and the Crown Prosecution Service. I look forward to working with the Attorney General, Government lawyers and the Civil Service to play my part in making the law and politics work together at the heart of the UK constitution.

I would like to pay tribute to my predecessor Michael Tomlinson KC MP, who was both a brilliant Solicitor General and my fellow pupil at 3 Paper Buildings.

Biography

Robert Courts was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport between 8 September 2020 and 20 September 2022. He was Chair of the Defence Select Committee from 25 October 2023 until his appointment as Solicitor General. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for Witney and West Oxfordshire in October 2016.

Political career

Robert was previously Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Secretary of State for Transport, having served as a PPS in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs prior to that. He served on the International Trade Select Committee and Defence Select Committees, having previously been a member of the Transport, Justice and Backbench Business Committees.

Career outside politics

Before his election to Parliament, Robert was a self-employed barrister at 3 Paper Buildings. His practice focused primarily on personal injury and clinical negligence. He also served as a district councillor.

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

Harry Jones, from Cradley Heath, Wolverhampton, had his 10-year term increased by four years after the Solicitor General referred his sentence as being unduly lenient.

The court heard that Jones had fallen out with his colleague Daniel Tulley and the pair arranged a fight over social media.

On 4 November 2019, Jones drove round to Tulley’s home in Bloxwich where he threatened his partner before tracking Tulley down on Clayhanger Road, Brownhills.  The incident culminated in Tulley being struck by a car and thrown off the bonnet when the vehicle stopped.

Jones fled the scene without checking on Tulley who was left with serious injuries and in need of emergency brain surgery. He spent more than a month in hospital and has been left with serious long-term injuries.

The Solicitor General, Michael Tomlinson KC MP, said:

Harry Jones may have been a respectable local businessman but his actions that day were utterly deplorable. His personal dispute with Daniel Tulley has left him with severe long-term injuries which will impact his life forever.

The court also took a dim view of Harry Jones’ heinous actions and have increased his prison term, sending a stark warning that leaving someone for dead has serious consequences.

Harry Jones was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 21 July 2023 for one count of grievous bodily harm with intent.

On Tuesday 14 November the Court of Appeal increased Jones’s sentence to 14 years after it was referred under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

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

Three men with a history of violence who robbed a man in a Bristol takeaway have their prison sentences increased after the Solicitor General intervened.

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

Two brothers who recruited vulnerable young people to supply crack cocaine and heroin worth more than £100,000 in Shropshire have been ordered to serve longer in prison after their sentence was strengthened by the Court of Appeal.

James Mason, 33 and his brother Joshua, 25 from Liverpool were part of an organised crime gang which operated the County Line, called the Boris Line from between Merseyside and Oswestry, a market town in Shropshire, between July 2018 and February 2020.

County Lines typically involves using vulnerable children and young adults to supply drugs as a form of forced or compulsory labour. Nine young people were recruited as runners to supply crack and heroin for the gang – one was just 14 – and many were known to Children’s Services.

The Boris Line was controlled by their associate – Adam McCardle – but both brothers took an active role travelling between the two locations to supply drugs and sending regular messages to hundreds of drug users in Oswestry offering their products.

When the home of James Mason was raided in July 2019, Police found large quantities of heroin and crack cocaine as well as drug paraphernalia and £10,000 in cash. They also found a black Samsung phone, which, turned out to be the Boris Line telephone.

Both brothers pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin but were put on trial for conspiracy to require a person to commit forced or compulsory labour.

In August this year, James Mason was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment and Joshua was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.

On Thursday 9 November, the Court of Appeal increased the sentence for both brothers after the Solicitor General referred them under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP said:

There is no doubt that class A drug use has a devastating impact on local communities and the young age of some of the people recruited to act as runners for this gang makes this case even more appalling.

Thankfully, the court recognised the damage caused by these brothers and they have been ordered to spend longer in jail. I hope this case serves as a strong warning that those responsible for distributing hard drugs on our streets will be punished.

James Mason’s sentence was increased to a total of 10 years imprisonment and Josh Mason’s sentence was increased to a total of eight years imprisonment.

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

Child sex offence cases saw the greatest number of prison sentence increases by the Court of Appeal last year the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has announced.

Figures released as part the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme annual statistics for 2022 show there were 23 child sex offence sentence increases. This was followed by 10 sentences increased for rape offences and 7 for cases involving grievous bodily harm.

Under the ULS scheme, anybody can ask for a Crown Court sentence to be reviewed if they believe it is too low.

However, there is a strict criteria as only certain offences are considered and referrals to AGO must be made within 28 days of the sentence.

In 2022, the Law Officers received 1,179 cases to review and referred 139 cases to the Court of Appeal. In total, 95 cases (68 per cent) saw the sentence increased.

The Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP said:

Being a victim of crime can leave life-long emotional scars and some of society’s most dangerous offenders – including child sexual predators and violent criminals – saw their sentences increased in 2022.

As the statistics show, the vast majority of offenders are sentenced appropriately. However, the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme provides a vital safeguard to ensure that there is confidence in our sentence regime.

The scheme is a vital pillar of criminal justice and shows there is a robust system to make sure criminals are suitably punished for their actions.”

Other offences which saw sentence increases in 2022 included, kidnapping, robbery, child cruelty and murder.

Semi Lave’s 15-year sentence saw the biggest increase in 2022 when his jail term was extended by nine years, totalling 24 years with a licence extension of six years.

Lave was found to have raped and sexually abused two children between 2015 and 2020. Both children were threatened with violence and were physically abused.

Other cases in 2022 that saw sentence increases after the Law Officers intervened included:

• Convicted child sex offender Lee Gibson saw his prison sentence increased from 16-and-a-half years to 23 years in January 2022. Derby’s Gibson subjected his young victim to a campaign of sexual abuse which began when she was under 13 years of age.
• Former radio DJ, Mark Page, was convicted of trying to arrange sexual encounters with children in the Philippines and had his sentence extended from 12 years to 18 in June 2022.
• Zachary Jagger saw his prison term increase from six years to 13 years, with a licence extension of three years, after he deliberately drove his car into a group of people he had been fighting with after he was refused entry into a party. He left one victim with a double leg fracture.
• Lorna and Chris Dennington were sentenced in 2022 for child cruelty offences. Their campaign of cruelty was conducted over 11 years where victims were physically and emotionally abused. Lorna’s sentence was increased to four years and 10 months’, while Chris was ordered to serve a new sentence of six years.

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

Adil Iqbal, 22, from Accrington had his 12-year sentence increased to 15 years after the Solicitor General referred his conviction to the Court of Appeal as being unduly lenient.

The court heard that Iqbal had a history of driving offences, and was previously convicted of driving without insurance and driving while disqualified. He had also been given a warning from police after racing in another vehicle.

On 13 May 2023, Iqbal was driving a BMW at excessive speeds on the M66 heading towards Manchester.

He was travelling at 112mph when he swerved to avoid a collision with another car and ploughed into Frankie Jules-Hough’s car which was stationary on the hard shoulder.

Ms Jules-Hough was 17 weeks pregnant and travelling in the car with her two sons and nephew. She was airlifted to hospital but died two days later having suffered catastrophic injuries. Her unborn baby did not survive the collision.

Two of the children were placed in induced comas and their long-term health and well-being remains uncertain.

Iqbal denied driving at excessive speeds and blamed the loss of control on an issue with his vehicle’s rear tyres. He also refused to provide the PIN to unlock his mobile phone.

However, investigations uncovered that in the moments leading up to the collision, Iqbal was filming himself travelling at speeds between 107 and 123mph.

The Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP said:

Adil Iqbal’s driving that day ripped apart a young family that had so much to look forward to – not least welcoming a new baby. It is deplorable enough that he was travelling at such excessive speed but endangering lives further by filming himself was simply inexcusable.

I am pleased the court has recognised the severity of his crimes and hope Iqbal’s increased sentence sends a stark warning to people who think it is acceptable to drive at high speeds and put the lives of others in jeopardy. You risk being punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Adil Iqbal was sentenced on 19 July 2023 to 12 years’ imprisonment and disqualified from driving for 13 years after he was convicted of one count of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

On Friday 13 October 2023, the Court of Appeal increased Adil Iqbal’s sentence to 15 years. The Court also increased the disqualification period to five years with a 10 year extension.

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.