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Reference by DPP NI under S. 36 Criminal Justice Act 1988 as amended by S. 41(5) Justice (NI) Act 2002 – whether sentence of 5 months’ custody unduly lenient - sexual assault of a child under 13 contrary to Article 14 of the Sexual Offences (NI) Order 2008 – whether failure to impose a SOPO unduly lenient – sentence quashed and SOPO imposed.
[2019] NICA 23 Stephens LJ
Reference by DPP under s. 36 Criminal Justice Act 1988 – whether sentence for attempted murder unduly lenient - appropriate sentencing range for offence of attempted murder - adherence to statutory test in considering imposition of suspended sentences - need for care in assessment of dangerousness - original sentence unduly lenient and substituted – appeal allowed.
[2019] NICA 10 Morgan LCJ
appeal from part of sentence which disqualified appellant from driving for period of 4 years - causing grievous bodily injury by driving carelessly when unfit to drive through drink or drugs and driving while unfit through drink or drugs - whether length of disqualification wrong in principle, manifestly excessive and failed to take into account appellant’s reliance on ability to drive to return to employment – appeal allowed
Sexual offence prevention orders - applications made to Crown Court in respect of variations, renewals and discharge, and appeals thereafter to the Court of Appeal - demarcation between appeals in respect of SOPOs imposed as part of sentence and appeals in respect of variations, renewals and discharges - need for SOPO's to be carefully formulated
[2018] NICA 53 Maguire J
appeal against determinate sentence of 13½ years with extended licence period of 3 years – s. 18 GBH with intent to a 2 year old child – violent punch to head – significant brain injury and right-sided hemiplegia – wheelchair bound and visually impaired – sentence not manifestly excessive – appeal dismissed – McAuley and Seaward distinguished – court underlined vulnerability of very young children
[2018] NICA 2 Morgan LCJ
Murder x 2 – whether reduction in tariffs for guilty plea appropriate –guidance given on range of appropriate discount and approach to be taken by sentencers.
[2017] NICA 52 Morgan LCJ
Reference by DPP under s.36 Criminal Justice Act 1988 (as amended) – gross negligence manslaughter – various breaches of health & safety at work (‘H&S’) provisions – deceased falling from roof of agricultural shed – 15 months’ imprisonment suspended for 3 years – whether suspended sentence unduly lenient – immediate sentence of 24 months (12 & 12) substituted for manslaughter and concurrent sentence of 6 months for each H&S offence.
[2017] NICA 29 Gillen LJ
Appeal against sentence – rape contrary to Article 5(1) of the Sexual Offences (NI) Order 2008 – common assault contrary to s. 47 OAPA 1861 – whether sentence for rape (ECS – 9 years in custody plus 2 on licence) manifestly excessive and/or wrong in principle – whether judge justified in concluding that there was significant risk of serious harm etcetera – Kubik applied – contesting the prosecution not an aggravating factor – Gilbert distinguished on the facts – appeal allowed – ECS of 7 plus 2 substituted.
[2017] NICA 5 Weir LJ
Application to extend time for leave to appeal sentence – murder – 20 year tariff – Plus: 1. attempted murder; 2. possession of shotgun; and, 3. handgun both with intent to endanger life – discretionary life sentences with concurrent tariffs of 20 years’ imprisonment for each offence. Planned professional killing – McCandless reaffirmed – extension of time refused on murder count and tariff on mandatory life sentence left undisturbed – tariffs of 10, 8 & 8 years’ imprisonment respectively substituted in the remaining offences extension of time and leave having been granted on those counts.
[2017] NICA 4 Morgan LCJ
Reference by DPP under s. 36 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 - causing death by dangerous driving plus dangerous driving, failing to provide a specimen, failing to stop and failing to remain contrary to the Road Traffic (NI) Order 1995 - 7 year sentence (3 1/2 in custody and 3 1/2 on licence) - whether starting point too low - whether consecutive sentences required - whether too great a discount for plea - whether mitigation too generous - reaffirmation that all aggravating and mitigating factors to be considered first in arriving at starting point before giving discount for plea - personal mitigation less relevant in deterrent sentence - allowing for double jeopardy sentence of 9 years (4 1/2 plus 4 1/2) substituted.
[2017] NICA 1 Morgan LCJ
Appeal against sentence - AOABH contrary to s. 47 OAPA 1861 - 4 year sentence (2 in custody and 2 on licence) - whether starting point excessive - whether route to sentence unconventional/at risk of double counting - whether sufficient discount for plea - whether sufficient weight given to indicators of positive change - whether failure to take adequate account of fact that offence could have been prosecuted summarily - Appeal allowed - appellant pregnant - 'significant factors' meant a 2 year probation order would be substituted.
[2016] NICA 59 Weir LJ
Appeal against 4 year Determinate Custodial Sentence, comprising 2 years custody and 2 years on licence - conspiracy to defraud - setting up and operation of websites which permitted the viewing of films in breach of copyright and the advertising revenue - sections 327(1)(a) and 329 Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 - appeal dismissed - principles derived and applied from first instance sentencing remarks, the Court of Appeal (E&W) and Sentencing Guidelines Council.
[2016] NICA 27 Morgan LCJ
Appeal of part of sentence - causing grievous bodily injury by driving without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration - whether judge correct to impose three year disqualification - whether judge correct to impose extended driving test requirement - appeal allowed - disqualification period of 12 months substituted - requirement for extended driving test removed.
2016 NICA 24 Keegan J
Offences of depositing, keep and treating controlled waste under Article 4 Waste and Contaminated Land (NI) Order 1997 – aggravating factors correctly identified – starting point should first be identified by sentencers – 12 month determinate custodial sentence (6 & 6) substituted for the earlier 18 month sentence.
[2016] NICA 9 Morgan LCJ
Rape contrary to Article 5(1) of the Sexual Offences (NI) Order 2008 – continued application of Sentencing Advisory Panel’s 2002 Guidelines – medical evidence of impact on victim must be such as to establish to a rigorous standard – extended custodial sentence of 9 years replaced with a determinate custodial sentence of 7 years - 3½ in custody and 3½ on licence.
[2016] NICA 3 Morgan LCJ
Appeal against sentence – rape contrary to Article 5(1) of the Sexual Offences (NI) Order 2008 (19 years’ imprisonment) and attempted rape (15 years) plus 46 other counts (9 counts of gross indecency 2 years’ imprisonment, 9 of common assault 12 months, 8 of false imprisonment 9 years, 4 of threats to kill 9 years, 7 of indecent assault 9 years and 9 of cruelty to children 7 years all concurrent – whether sentence wrong in principle/manifestly excessive having regard to the Sentencing Council Guidelines and NI Guidelines – whether there had been inadequate deduction because of delay - whether there had been a failure to have regard to the absence of offending from 2004 – McCaughey and Smith approach to Sentencing Council Guidelines reaffirmed and appeal dismissed.
2015 NICA 67 Weatherup LJ
Wounding with intent to commit GBH (ECS 9 plus 3) threats to kill (9 plus 1 concurrent) – both lower harm and lower culpability required for lower starting point in s.18 OAPA 1861 offence – McAuley and Seaward guideline clarified – however sentencing court’s starting point here of 11yrs. was too high in a case of low harm – 9 yr. custodial element reduced to 7 – dangerousness finding approved and 3 yr. extension left undisturbed.
2015 NICA 65 Morgan LCJ
Wounding with intent X2; common assault X2; and false imprisonment – domestic violence – culpability high but degree of harm low – ECS of 6 plus 4 for each wounding – court underlined need to identify domestic setting as aggravating feature – dangerousness considered – delay between conviction and sentence held to be breach of Article 6 but aggravation outweighed this – appeal refused.
2015 NICA 58 Morgan LCJ
Manslaughter on ground of diminished responsibility and 2 X possession of a firearm with intent – planned killing of offender’s father – impaired judgement – assessed as presenting further risk of serious harm – whether life sentence necessary – whether ICS adequately considered – whether 10 yr. tariff appropriate – whether conclusion that responsibility was relatively high correct – fresh medical evidence received on appeal establishing lower culpability – ICS with specified period of 7 years substituted for manslaughter and two with specified period of 4 for firearms convictions.
2015 NICA 57 Morgan LCJ
DPP reference – Possession of class A/B drugs with intent to supply – significant quantities of class A with high value – 3 defendants – determinate sentences of 5 yrs., 4 yrs., and 3 yrs. (6 custody plus 2½ on licence) – unduly lenient – substituted with 6½ yrs., 5 yrs., and 2yrs. (12 month plus 12 months) – earlier NI guidelines affirmed.