David Prendergrast-Scales [2019] EWCA Crim 1194

The appellant pleaded guilty to an offence of burglary and was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment. He was subject to the minimum term provisions and had also been sentenced under the provisions on a previous occasion. The judge allowed 20% discount for plea on the basis that he had pleaded guilty at the PTPH but that he had to view the CCTV before he entered his plea and he was a professional burglar.

The Court considered the judge was not right to reduce the discount for the reasons he gave. The appellant did plead guilty at the PTPH and although he watched the CCTV before entering a plea that does not operate so as to justify some reduction. If the case had to be adjourned to a later date, then some impact on the level of credit may have been justified. The sentence was reduced to one of 45 months.