Jeffrey L [2019] EWCA Crim 1588

The appellant was convicted of various sexual offences and sentenced to 19 years, under s236A, consisting of a custodial term of 18 years and an extended licence of 1 year.

The complainant was the appellant’s stepdaughter who had been groomed from the age of 8, the offending escalating to repeated rapes up until the age of 15.

The defence submitted that the Recorder would have been justified in going to category 2A as he did but that the resultant sentence exceeded the ceiling in that category.

Held: an adjustment was required on two counts as the maximum for that offending had been exceeded. The total sentence, however, was not manifestly excessive or wrong in principle, this was a campaign of rape.

The appeal was dismissed.