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Court of Appeal imposes extended sentence on violent criminal (8 December 2015)

Date: 08/12/2015
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Court of Appeal imposes extended sentence on violent criminal

The Court of Appeal has imposed an extended sentence of imprisonment on Swansea armed robber Robert Quinn, after finding him to be a dangerous offender.

In June 2015, Quinn entered a convenience store in Swansea city centre, where he produced an imitation firearm and threatened two staff members, demanding alcohol and cigarettes – however, one of his victims managed to wrestle him out of the shop empty handed.

Quinn returned half-an-hour later and approached a female sitting alone in a car and threatened her with a knife.

The victim, fearing for her life, handed over money and cigarettes, but then managed to kick and knock Quinn to the ground.

The police were called and Quinn was arrested at the scene, although the gun and knife were never recovered.

In August, Robert Quinn received a prison sentence of six years and eight months.

The sentence was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme by the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, as he did not feel that the sentence provided sufficient protection to the public.

On 1 December, the Court of Appeal agreed with the Solicitor General that the sentencing judge was wrong not to have found that the defendant is dangerous.

The new sentence imposed comprises not only the six years and eight months’ custodial sentence originally imposed – but also a four-year extended licence period to follow, during which the offender will be under supervision.

The effect of the order is not only that Quinn will be supervised for four years once he has been released – but he will also not be entitled to be released until he has served at least two-thirds of the custodial part of his sentence.

After sentencing, Solicitor General Robert Buckland, said:

“I asked the Court of Appeal to look again at this sentence, as I believed that the original term failed to reflect the seriousness of the offences and the danger that this defendant poses to the public.

“Anyone who has been threatened with weapons will testify to the terrifying effect it has upon them.

“I am pleased that the Court of Appeal has increased the sentence to ensure greater public protection and I hope this brings a degree of comfort to the victims.”

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