Exceptionally lenient sentence for s18 GBH
Our client was captured on CCTV repeatedly striking a man with a wine bottle in a seemingly unprovoked drunken attack before briefly giving chase through a hotel. He was charged with causing GBH with intent, an offence which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The judge at the plea and trial preparation hearing warned our client to expect '8 years today, 12 years after conviction'.
Our client pleaded not guilty to causing GBH with intent. The jury rejected his defence of non-insane automatism and he was convicted.
In passing sentence the judge made clear that he accepted our comprehensive written submissions and departed to an almost unprecedented degree from the Definitive Guideline for the offence of causing GBH with intent. “In my many years I have not previously come across such an unusual case of wounding with intent combined with such mitigation as this. For reasons set out in the defence submission which I won’t repeat, I conclude this is a category 3 case. Anyone who reads the papers would conclude it is a category 1.” Our client was sentenced to 3 years 6 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay compensation and costs. The CPS has not appealed this sentence as being unduly lenient.
David Bloom instructed Ian Unsworth QC of 7 Harrington Street Chambers to represent our client.
