Crime victims 'have less rights than offenders in courts system', says victims' commissioner
She learned about the ULS scheme from Ms Waxman exactly 28 days after the sentencing hearing, and quickly submitted an appeal to the Attorney General's office. But it was turned down for arriving at 8.40pm – said to be too late because it was outside usual office hours.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ITV News
6 days ago
- ITV News
Drug dealer who caused Newcastle house blast which killed two people to have sentence reviewed
A drug dealer who caused an explosion which killed two people in Newcastle is to have his sentence reviewed. Reece Galbraith caused the blast at Violet Close in Benwell in the early hours of 16 October 2024 while making cannabis gummy sweets. He and his friend Jason 'Jay' Laws were using a Newcastle flat as a drugs lab when the explosion ripped through the building, killing both laws and seven-year-old Archie York who was sleeping in the flat above. Galbraith, of Rectory Road in Gateshead, pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter as well as possessing and supplying cannabis. The Attorney General's Office has confirmed that a request has been received to review Galbraith's sentence under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme, adding that a decision will be made "in due course." What is the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme? Under the scheme, anyone - including those not involved in the case - can ask for a sentence to be reviewed. The Law Officers will then have 28 days to consider the sentence and refer it to the Court of Appeal if they agree it was unduly lenient. In this scenario, the Court of Appeal will make a final decision on whether a sentence should be increased. The blast at Violet Close destroyed six of the 12 flats in the block. It was followed by a 'fierce fire' that caused such extensive damage to the whole block that it has since been demolished. Police investigating the explosion discovered that the flat operated by Galbraith and Laws was used as a 'drugs lab' to produce cannabis concentrates, known as "shatter" or "butane honey oil," in a highly dangerous process. Galbraith suffered extensive burns and was placed in an induced coma following the blast. Bodyworn from Northumbria Police shows the moment Reece Galbraith is arrested Jailing Galbraith, the judge, Mr Justice Cotter, said: "Archie York was just a seven-year-old with a wonderful and exciting life ahead of him. "His parents have so movingly explained, their world was shattered on October 16 when their flat was blown apart and they woke up buried under the rubble, dazed, bleeding and terrified to realise their precious son had been lost." He went on to say: "Violet Close was a close-knit, multi-racial community with many families that was literally blown apart as a result of your illegal activities in their midst, regardless of the clear risks to others."
Evening Standard
25-04-2025
- Evening Standard
Crime victims 'have less rights than offenders in courts system', says victims' commissioner
She learned about the ULS scheme from Ms Waxman exactly 28 days after the sentencing hearing, and quickly submitted an appeal to the Attorney General's office. But it was turned down for arriving at 8.40pm – said to be too late because it was outside usual office hours.
BBC News
27-03-2025
- BBC News
Robber caught in Leicester in victim's jacket jailed on appeal
A robber who was caught wearing his victim's jacket has been locked up after his suspended jail sentence was comes after a man on his way home from a night out in Leicester in May last year was grabbed and dragged into a car.A group slapped him, threatened him with a kitchen knife and forced him to hand over belongings including a phone, ear pods, tablet, trainers, tracksuit, designer bag and a jacket worth about £1, Mohamed had been given a suspended jail sentence at Leicester Crown Court in December but the Court of Appeal has ruled this was unduly lenient and the 27-year-old has now been imprisoned. Leicester Crown Court heard that following the robbery, police caught Mohamed outside a nightclub handling and inspecting the stolen items, wearing the victim's his impact statement, the victim said the robbery had led to him moving to another city and he continues to feel vulnerable every time he goes out. 'A stark warning' Mohamed pleaded guilty to robbery, driving without a licence and driving without insurance on 3 October 2024 at Leicester Crown Court and at the same court on 19 December he was sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment suspended for two General Lucy Rigby MP intervened and referred the case under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) sentence was increased to a total of four years and nine months' imprisonment at London's Court of Appeal on 25 said the "violent robbery" was "horrific" and added: "The substantial sentence increase following my intervention should serve as a stark warning that crime and lawlessness will not be tolerated."Co-defendant Khalid Aadan, 21, of Marwood Road in Leicester, was also sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on 19 was jailed for 24 weeks in total for handling stolen goods and possession of a knife in a public place.
