Tag: Attorney General

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

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 9 May 2023.

A banned driver who killed a cyclist and left him for dead has his prison term increased after the Court of Appeal reviewed the original sentence.

Lee Beevers (27), from Normanton, West Yorkshire, has had his original sentence overturned and sent to prison for six years after the Court of Appeal reviewed the case under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The court heard that on the evening of 13 April 2022, Beevers was driving his friend’s car at speeds of more than 70mph through residential areas.

Despite being uninsured and subject to a driving ban, Beevers ignored his passengers’ requests to slow down and continued to drive along the Wakefield Road at speed.

As Beevers approached a junction with Church Lane, he struck Alan Tankard who was crossing the road on his bicycle wearing visible clothing.

Beevers continued to drive without checking on his victim, who had been propelled into the air. Alan Tankard was pronounced dead at the scene.

Analysis of CCTV evidence calculated that Beevers was driving at 82mph at the point of the collision and neither Lee Beevers nor his passengers called for assistance. The car was then burned to evade detection.

Beevers pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and driving whilst disqualified and was sentenced on 19 January 2023 to four years and eight months and disqualified from driving for five years and four months.

His sentence was increased by the Court of Appeal to six years at a hearing on 21 April 2023.

The Solicitor General, Michael Tomlinson KC MP, said:

Lee Beevers was a persistent offender with several driving convictions already to his name. He repeatedly ignored requests from his passengers to slow down before he callously fled the scene after he smashed into his victim.

I would like to express my sincere condolences to Alan Tankard’s family. While Lee Beevers’ extended sentence won’t change what happened, the court has recognised the severity of his crimes and determined that Lee Beevers should spend longer behind bars for his reckless and heartless actions.

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 9 May 2023.

Dangerous driver who killed another motorist before fleeing the scene has prison term increased after sentence was referred under Unduly Lenient Sentencing scheme.

John Frazer Yates (28), of no fixed abode, has had his original prison term quashed and will now serve 11 years and three months in jail after the Court of Appeal determined his initial sentence was unduly lenient.

The court heard that at just after midnight on 15 November 2022, Yates was travelling northbound on the M6 motorway, between junction 20 and 21.

Temporary roadworks, which had a speed limit of 50 mph, forced Yates to move into a single lane of traffic. But due to the excessive speed Yates was travelling at, which experts calculated to be 128 mph, he collided with a vehicle driven by a third party before hitting Christopher Smith’s car.

Yates got out of his car and fled the scene, leaving his victim for dead. He was arrested several hours later and refused to provide his details or a breath sample. Once Yates was taken to the hospital, he failed to provide a blood sample.

The Solicitor General, Michael Tomlinson KC MP, said:

John Frazer Yates was travelling at dangerously excessive speeds and through his reckless actions caused the tragic death of another motorist. The offence was aggravated by him callously fleeing the scene not thinking he would be picked up by the CCTV cameras.

I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to Christopher Smith’s family and I welcome the court’s decision to extend Yates’ sentence in what were truly tragic circumstances.

Yates pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and failing to provide a sample. He was sentenced to eight years and three months at Chester Crown Court on 20 January 2023. Yates was also banned from driving for 12-and-a-half years.

His sentence was referred to the Court of Appeal for being unduly lenient and on Thursday 20 April, the court increased Yates sentence to 11 years and three months.

The press release issued by the Attorney General on 4 April 2023.

A man found guilty of multiple sexual offences with a child has had his sentence doubled after the case was referred under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The press release issued by the Attorney General on 10 March 2023.

A predator who told a woman he met online to sexually assault two young children has his sentence increased by more than two years.

Alan Nicholson, from High Harrington, Cumbria, had his case referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

In September 2021, Alan Nicholson (53) spoke to a woman online, called Louise, who he believed had two daughters, aged five years-old and a baby of four-months.

Their conversations revolved around serious acts of sexual abuse that Nicholson intended to carry out on Louise’s children.

However, Louise was an undercover police officer supporting Cumbria Constabulary’s Cyber and Digital Crime Unit.

Nicholson was found guilty on two counts of attempting to arrange/facilitate the commission of a child sex offence and received a three-year prison sentence.

He was also placed on the Sex Offender’s Register and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

Following the sentencing at the Crown Court at Carlisle on 16 December 2022, the case was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Nicholson’s original sentence was found to be unduly lenient by the Court of Appeal on 9 March 2023 and was increased to 5 years 9 months.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP, said:

Alan Nicholson believed he was successfully arranging to carry out vile acts on very young children. Thankfully the person he was talking to was an undercover police officer, whose diligent and commendable work led to his imprisonment.

I would like to praise all of those involved for catching Alan Nicholson and helping prevent anyone else come to harm. A longer prison sentence for this despicable crime shows such behaviour cannot and will not be tolerated.

Detective Sergeant James Bailey of Cumbria Constabulary’s Cyber and Digital Crime Unit said:

We welcome the increased sentence given out to Nicholson.

Our specialist officers work hard behind-the-scenes all-year-round to deter offending, catch criminals and safeguard victims.

We will not tolerate those carrying out such crimes and will continue to do what we can to target those offending in this way and bring them to justice.

The press release issued by the Attorney General on 9 March 2023.

Attorney General Victoria Prentis KC MP took part in a three-day visit to Ukraine between March 2-4.

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

A paedophile who sexually assaulted 2 children under the age of 13 will spend an additional 4 years in prison following a challenge to his original sentence under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, meaning he will now serve 15 years’ imprisonment plus 12 months’ extended licence.

Lee Wilson, 40, from South Shields, Tyne and Wear, was sentenced on 18 November 2022 for a total of seven counts of sexual offences against children. These included 3 counts of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, sexual assault of a child under 13 and making indecent photographs of a child.

At the original sentencing at Newcastle Crown Court, Wilson was ordered to serve 11 years’ imprisonment plus 12 months’ extended licence.

His sentence was then referred to the Court of Appeal by the Solicitor General, Michael Tomlinson KC MP, who felt that the sentence handed down to Wilson was unduly lenient.

Following today’s hearing at the Court of Appeal, the Solicitor General said:

The increased sentence handed down to Lee Wilson today shows that sexual crimes against children will always be met with the strongest possible punishment under the law. These were abhorrent crimes, and I welcome the decision of the Court to order Wilson to serve a sentence which better reflects his offending.

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

A drug dealer who supplied heroin and cocaine has had his sentence more than doubled following a hearing at the Court of Appeal on 17 February 2023 under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme and will now serve 6 years and 3 months in prison.

O’Neil Pendley, 30, pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

Pendley dealt heroin and cocaine on the streets in the Worcester area and has previous relevant convictions for drug offences.

Pendley was originally sentenced to 2 years and 9 months’ imprisonment at Worcester Crown Court on 09 December 2022.

The Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP then referred Pendley’s sentence to the Court of Appeal because he believed it was unduly lenient.

Speaking after the hearing at the Court of Appeal today, the Solicitor General said:

The class A drugs that Pendley supplied are dangerous and ruin lives.

I welcome the Court’s decision to order Pendley to serve a longer prison term, and hope the new sentence sends a clear message that the money made from dealing drugs will never be worth the punishment.

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 15 February 2023.

Kevin Humphries, from Worcester, had his 18-month sentence referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Humphries now 60, was in his early 30s when he indecently assaulted two teenage boys in separate incidents.

Humphries knew his victims and pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault in October 2022 at Worcester Crown Court after one of the victims alerted the police in 2020.

The offender was given a sentence of 18 months’ imprisonment at Hereford Crown Court and given a sexual harm prevention order.

Following the sentencing on 22 November 2022, the case was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Humphries’ original sentence was found to be unduly lenient by the court on 15 February 2023 and was increased to two years and six months.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP said:

Kevin Humphries enticed two teenage boys with adult appropriate gifts before he abused their trust and carried out his sickening assaults.

The impact on his victims’ lives has been great and an increased sentence for Kevin Humphries shows that this appalling behaviour will not be accepted.

The press release issued by the Attorney General on 14 February 2023.

Two offenders who assisted the murderers of Ryan Kirkpatrick flee the country after he was fatally stabbed have been ordered to serve longer prison sentences.

Two offenders who assisted the killers of Ryan Kirkpatrick in 2021 have received longer prison sentences under the Unduly Lenient Scheme.

Ross Neville, 32, has been sentenced to an immediate prison term of 1 year and 10 months. He was originally given a one-year community payback order, which included 200 hours unpaid work.

Michael Celmins, 32, will now serve 2 years in prison. He was originally sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment.

In 2021 Kane Hull and Liam Porter murdered Ryan Kirkpatrick, 24 at the time, in Carlisle, Cumbria. They then fled the country to evade arrest.

Following the murder, the pair were assisted in fleeing the UK by Neville and Celmins.

On the night Mr Kirkpatrick was murdered, Neville provided Kane and Porter with accommodation and helped them travel out of Carlisle.

Celmins provided a stolen car to Hull and Porter. Phone evidence showed that Celmins was clearly aware of the murder of Mr. Kirkpatrick and knew that Hull was wanted by police.

Neville and Celmins were originally sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court on 5 December 2022. They were both charged with assisting an offender (murder).

Following the sentencing, the Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP referred their sentences to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Scheme.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General said:

Today I wish to express my sympathies to the family of Ryan Kirkpatrick.

Ross Neville and Michael Celmins shamefully assisted two brutal murderers flee the UK in a cowardly attempt to evade justice. It was clear to me that the original sentences given to the pair were not appropriate, so I welcome the decision of the Court to hand down sentences which better reflect the crimes that have taken place.

Olivia Memmory, 23, also helped Hull and Porter following the murder. Her original sentence of 19 months’ imprisonment remains unchanged.