Category:Sentence appeal cases

Appeal against life sentence The unrepresented appellant sought to appeal his life sentence, essentially on the basis that his mental health problems had not properly been addressed at trial, and sought an extension of time of over 20 years as "I did not know until now I could appeal under the Mental Health Act". He was unsuccessful: his mental health problems were known at the time, diminished responsibility had not been raised at trial, and he had been convicted of murder for which the only possible sentence is life.

Undue lenience Calocane fatally stabbed two teenagers, then just over an hour later fatally stabbed a man, stole his van, and deliberately drove into three people on two separate occasions causing serious injuries. The prosecution accepted his diminished responsibility pleas in relation to the murder charges, and the Attorney General argued that a restricted hospital order was unduly lenient.

DPP replaced with s37/41 A sentence of detention for public protection had been imposed on the appellant (his 29th offence at the age of 17 was to stab someone in the neck from behind for giving him "dirty looks" and calling him a ginger nut) but subsequent evidence stated that he has a learning disability and had been in the prodromal phase of schizophrenia. The Court of Appeal quashed the DPP and substituted it with a restricted hospital order under s37/41.

Restricted hospital order instead of life sentence Life sentence with 7-year minimum term quashed and substituted with s37/41 restricted hospital order.

Appeal against IPP "In this appeal the appellant invites the court to quash the sentence of imprisonment for public protection imposed in 2008 and make an order pursuant to section 37 of the Mental Health Act 1983 ("the 1983 Act") for his admission or continued detention at Ty Gwyn Hall Hospital, Abergavenny. The appellant also invites the court to make an accompanying Restriction Order without limit of time under section 41 of the 1983 Act. The Crown does not oppose this appeal, nor the orders sought."

Sentencing and mental health "These three cases, otherwise unconnected, raise issues about proper approach to sentencing offenders who suffer from autism or other mental health conditions or disorders."

Intoxication (1) Appeal against conviction: "The defence sought to rely on self-defence as codified in s76 Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 noting, in particular, s76(4)(b) which makes it clear that the defence is available even if the defendant is mistaken as to the circumstances as he genuinely believed them to be whether or not the mistake was a reasonable one for him to have made. Although s76(5) provides that a defendant is not entitled to rely upon any mistaken belief attributable to intoxication that was voluntarily induced, it was argued that as there was no suggestion that Taj had alcohol or drugs present in his system at the time, he was not 'intoxicated' and so was not deprived of the defence. It was also submitted that R v McGee, R v Harris, R v Coley [2013] EWCA Crim 223 supported the proposition that to be in a state of 'voluntarily intoxication' ..→

Guidance on sentencing on appeal "These four otherwise unconnected appeals have been listed together as each potentially raises an issue in relation to the effect of s11(3) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 which requires this court, on an appeal against sentence, to exercise its powers such that 'taking the case as a whole, the appellant is not more severely dealt with on appeal than he was dealt with by the court below'. Articulating the issue with reference to the specific sentences that may give rise to the issue, it is about the extent to which this court can substitute what is a standard determinate sentence with (i) a special custodial sentence for offenders of particular concern under s236A of the Criminal Justice Act 2003; (ii) an extended sentence under s226A or B of the 2003 Act; or (iii) a hospital order with restriction or hybrid order under s37 and 41 or 45A of the Mental Health Act 1983."

Sentencing guidance, including s37 and s45A These four cases were listed before the court to consider issues arising from the sentencing of mentally ill offenders to indeterminate terms of imprisonment. (1) Comparison of release regimes under s37/41 and s45A. (2) Rules governing applications to this court to advance new grounds or fresh evidence. (3) General principles: "Finally, to assist those representing and sentencing offenders with mental health problems that may justify a hospital order, a finding of dangerousness and/or a s.45A order, we summarise the following principles we have extracted from the statutory framework and the case law. (i) The first step is to consider whether a hospital order may be appropriate. (ii) If so, the judge should then consider all his sentencing options including a s.45A order. (iii) In deciding on the most suitable disposal the judge should remind him or herself of the importance of ..→

Diminished responsibility: schizophrenia and voluntary intoxication "These two appeals have been heard together because each involves a consideration of the judgments in R v Stewart [2009] EWCA Crim 593, [2009] 2 Cr App R 30 and AG's ref (no 34 of 2014) sub nom R v Jenkin [2014] EWCA Crim 1394, [2014] MHLO 56, [2014] 2 Cr App R (S) 84. Both appellants suffered from schizophrenia and killed whilst under the influence of alcohol and or drugs."

IPP or hospital order - anonymity (1) IPP sentence quashed and replaced with a restricted hospital order. (2) Request for anonymisation refused.

Sentencing guidance; MHT/PB delay "There are before the court: (1) Sitting as the Court of Appeal Criminal Division six cases where indeterminate sentences (either imprisonment for public protection (IPP) or a life sentence) had been passed between 1997 and 2008. Each specified a minimum term. In each case there was psychiatric evidence before the court with a view to a judge considering making a hospital order under MHA 1983 s37 as amended with a restriction under s41 of the same Act. The sentencing judge did not make such an order, but each was subsequently transferred to hospital under a transfer direction made by the Secretary of State under s47. (2) Sitting as the Court of Appeal Civil Division, a civil appeal in relation to a judicial review brought by the first of the appellants in the criminal appeals of the actions of the Secretary of State for Justice and the Parole Board relating to delay in the ..→