A BURNLEY man who raped a woman during a night out had his three year prison sentence increased to five and a half years by the Court of Appeal.
James Patton was convicted at Burnley Crown Court in November last year on a single count of rape after being caught taking advantage of a woman during a drunken night out.
MORE TOP STORIES:
He was originally sentenced to three years in jail.
However, after a referral by the Solicitor General Robert Buckland QC MP, the Court of Appeal today quashed the original sentence and raised Patton’s jail term to five and a half years’ imprisonment.
Speaking yesterday after the hearing, Solicitor General Robert Buckland said: “Given the circumstances of this case, I felt that the original sentence passed was unduly lenient and that a longer sentence should have been imposed.
“This case has had a terrible impact on the victim and I hope this increased sentence gives them some additional comfort.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article