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Yesterday an appeal was heard in an appaling case, where a couple repeatedly raped a 3 month old girl. In the original case both of the accused pleaded guilty and received discounts on their sentences. The male was sentenced to life imprisonment but with a recommendation that he served not less than 6 years. The female got 5 years. The prosecution felt that the discount was excessive and appealed. The appeal was considered so significant to future sentencing that the prosecution was represented by the Attorney General and was heard by no less than five Lords of Appeal including the Lord Chief Justice. The Appeal Court reserved its judgement. I have thought for sometime that these discounts are becoming excessive, leading to unduly lenient sentence and we are now getting pleas of guilty in murder cases. Something that never used to happen. What do others think is an appropriate discount for a guilty plea in serious cases?

That's terrible. Where did you read about this case?

Discounts for pleading guilty! Hells teeth what next?
For the type of crime mentioned at the start of this thread life should mean exactly that.......throw away the key. Better still, in this dreadful case save the public purse even more money, admission of guilt = a needle in the arm, job done!

I don't dispute what you say Keith. The problem is that people are now pleading guilty in the most serious cases and the discount means they are not getting an appropriate sentence. That is why this particularly unpleasant case has been appealed by the prosecution.

The Appeal Court delivered their verdicts on 8th June. Webster had his minimum sentence increased to 8 years. French sentence was unchanged. Although Webster's imprisonment still looks excesssively lenient 8years is the very minimum. The Lord Chief Justice when delivering the ruling did say that Webster was so depraved that he thought it unlikely he would ever be released.

they both should have recieved life.

The early plea of guilty also ensures that some slick defence barrister can't use smoke and mirrors and get a not-guilty result.

Mart