Figures released by the Attorney General's office reveal that child sex offenders were the most common category among those who received increased sentences under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme in 2022.
Under the scheme, anyone can request a review of a crown court sentence if they believe it is too lenient. Last year, officials were asked to examine nearly 1,200 cases, of which 139 were reconsidered by the Court of Appeal, resulting in longer sentences for 95 individuals.
Among those given extended sentences were 23 child sex offenders, ten rapists, and seven individuals convicted of grievous bodily harm. The largest increase was for Semi Lave, from Wiltshire, whose sentence for raping and sexually abusing two children was raised from 15 to 24 years. Similarly, Lee Gibson from Derby saw his sentence increase from 16-and-a-half to 23 years, and former BBC Radio 1 DJ Mark Page had six years added to his original 12-year term for attempting to arrange child sexual encounters in the Philippines.
Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC stated, "Being a victim of crime can leave life-long emotional scars and some of society's most dangerous offenders, including child sexual predators and violent criminals, saw their sentences increased in 2022." He emphasised that the scheme provides a vital safeguard for public confidence in sentencing.
