The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by P. C. against the sentences imposed for sexual offences against his younger sister and teenage niece, leaving in place an effective prison term of 12 years.
The appellant pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court on 27 April 2015 to 16 counts from an indictment containing 67 counts. The other 51 counts were taken into consideration. The offences included rape, indecent assault, sexual assault and child defilement. He was sentenced on 6 July 2015.
The Court of Appeal judgment, delivered by Mr Justice Mahon on 11 November 2016, said the abuse of the appellant’s sister occurred over four years, from August 1977 to December 1981, when she was aged between five and nine. The abuse of his niece took place over three years, from January 2005 to January 2008, beginning when she was 14. The court said the offences against the sister generally occurred in the family home, while those against the niece took place in different locations, mostly in the appellant’s van at remote locations near her home town.
The sentencing judge imposed concurrent sentences for one group of counts and a further group of concurrent sentences that ran consecutively to the sentence for Count 1. The resulting effective term was 12 years. Some sentences included suspended portions, subject to post-release conditions.
The appeal challenged the sentencing judge’s assessment of the seriousness of the offences against both victims and argued that insufficient weight had been given to mitigating factors. These were said to include the appellant’s character, employment record, low risk of reoffending, recovery from alcohol addiction, apology and expression of remorse.
The Court of Appeal said the sentencing judge had explained the sentences and why consecutive terms were appropriate, including that the offences involved two victims and widely separated periods. It found the sentences reasonable and appropriate, and held that the consecutive element was justified. The court did not alter the sentences. The appeal was dismissed.