2023-01-19
Jail term increased over role in 'cold-blooded assassination' of 'big friendly giant'
Stage: Appeal
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Merriman, who the court heard had spent almost one quarter of his life in custody, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended. Mr Justice Birmingham said that the trial judge initially identified a headline sentence of eight years for disposing of the weapon used in Mr Farnan's murder, "but then having regard to the factors that he saw as aggravating and mitigating, the sentencing judge indicated that the appropriate sentence was one of six years imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended". "The trial judge determined to make the sentence consecutive to the five-year sentence earlier imposed on Merriman due to the seriousness of both offences," he said.