Latest news with #UndulyLenientSentence
ITV News
2 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."
Scottish Sun
06-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Rapists and domestic abusers have lenient prison sentences extended under new scheme
Out of a total 48 cases heard by the Court of Appeal between January and March 2025, 33 sentences were increased JAIL TIME Rapists and domestic abusers have lenient prison sentences extended under new scheme RAPISTS and domestic abusers have had years added to their prison terms after being referred for being too lenient, The Sun can reveal. Violent offenders who abused women have had their sentences increased under a scheme designed to challenge soft punishments. Data published by the Attorney General's Office shows that out of a total 48 cases heard by the Court of Appeal between January and March 2025, 33 sentences were increased. Of these 33 sentences, 15 cases related to violent and sexual offences against women and girls. Nine were drug-related sentences and other offences included robbery, manslaughter, and conspiracy to traffic contraband into prison. The largest sentence increase was for Rico Persechino who saw his jail term extended by six years after it was referred to the Court of Appeal as part of the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. Rico Persechino was part of an organised criminal group operating in Surrey that carried out multiple burglaries, a violent assault, and stole more than £215,000 of high-value cars. Persechino's sentence was increased from seven years' and six months to 13 years' and six months on 13 March 2025 after it was referred to the Court of Appeal. Others include Stuart Worby, 45, from Dereham, Norfolk who had his sentence increased from 12 years to 17 years after giving a woman medication which caused her to have an abortion. Ryan Sutton, 24, from Worcester, who groomed and raped a 10-year-old he met on social media had his sentence increased by three years to a total of nine years' imprisonment with a licence extension of 12 months. Jie Zhang, 42, from West London, had her sentence more than doubled from three years to eight years' imprisonment for leading an international prostitution ring that recruited sex-workers from East Asia and Europe to work in brothels across London. The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said: 'The Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme exists to protect victims, and referrals to the Court of Appeal this year show that more perpetrators of violence against women and girls are being kept in jail for longer. 'As Solicitor General, I will continue to refer cases that are unduly lenient to the courts to ensure that justice is secured, victims in these cases are protected, and that public trust in the criminal justice system can be restored.'
The Irish Sun
06-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Rapists and domestic abusers have lenient prison sentences extended under new scheme
RAPISTS and domestic abusers have had years added to their prison terms after being referred for being too lenient, The Sun can reveal. Advertisement Data published by the Attorney General's Office shows that out of a total 48 cases heard by the Court of Appeal between January and March 2025, 33 sentences were increased. Of these 33 sentences, 15 cases related to violent and sexual offences against women and girls. Nine were drug-related sentences and other offences included robbery, manslaughter, and conspiracy to traffic contraband into prison. The largest sentence increase was for Rico Persechino who saw his jail term extended by six years after it was referred to the Court of Appeal as part of the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. Advertisement Read More on UK News Rico Persechino was part of an organised criminal group operating in Surrey that carried out multiple burglaries, a violent assault, and stole more than £215,000 of high-value cars. Persechino's sentence was increased from seven years' and six months to 13 years' and six months on 13 March 2025 after it was referred to the Court of Appeal. Others include Stuart Worby, 45, from Dereham, Norfolk who had his sentence increased from 12 years to 17 years after giving a woman medication which caused her to have an abortion. Ryan Sutton, 24, from Worcester, who groomed and raped a 10-year-old he met on social media had his sentence increased by three years to a total of nine years' imprisonment with a licence extension of 12 months. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Jie Zhang, 42, from The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said: 'The Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme exists to protect victims, and referrals to the Court of Appeal this year show that more perpetrators of violence against women and girls are being kept in jail for longer. 'As Solicitor General, I will continue to refer cases that are unduly lenient to the courts to ensure that justice is secured, victims in these cases are protected, and that public trust in the criminal justice system can be restored.' 1 The largest sentence increase was for Rico Persechino who saw his jail term extended by six years Credit: Surrey Police Advertisement
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
Court asked to extend sentence of Nicholas Prosper
The Court of Appeal has been asked to review the sentence of a teenager who killed three members of his family and planned a school shooting. Nicholas Propser, 19, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 49 years for murdering his mother, brother and sister in Luton last year. The bodies of Juliana Falcon, 48, Kyle Prosper, 16, and Giselle Prosper, 13, were found at their home in the Leabank Court tower block in September. The government's solicitor general has referred the case to appeal after a Conservative MP argued that Prosper should have received a whole life order instead, which would mean he would never be released from jail. The Attorney General's office had received a request to consider Prosper's sentence under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. In March, the Conservative shadow justice minister Kieran Mullan questioned why a whole life order was not imposed in a post on X and said he referred the case to the scheme. An attorney general office's spokesperson said: "I can confirm that the solicitor general has referred Nicholas Prosper's sentence to the Court of Appeal. "It will be argued that Prosper ought to have been given a whole life order. It is now for the court to decide whether to increase the sentence." This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
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.
