Judges reject appeals over sentences for street disorder

Rejecting all but three of 10 sentence challenges arising out of August’s widespread civil disorder, they stressed that punishments given to offenders by the courts should be “designed to deter others from similar criminal activity”.

Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge, sitting at the Court of Appeal with the President of the Queen’s Bench Division Sir John Thomas and Lord Justice Leveson, said the “level of lawlessness was utterly shocking and wholly inexcusable”.

Among the seven appeals against “excessive” sentences thrown out by the judges today were those brought by two men given four-year terms for setting up Facebook pages inciting others to riot.

Lawyers for Jordan Blackshaw, 21, of Northwich, and Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan, 22, of Warrington, both Cheshire, said what their clients had done was “monumentally foolish”, “hugely stupid” and “hugely short-sighted”.

But dismissing their pleas for a sentence reduction, Lord Judge said both had intended to cause “very serious crime” at a time of “sustained countrywide mayhem”.

The sentencing judge was “fully justified” in concluding that deterrent sentences were appropriate.

They were both caught red-handed, said Lord Judge, adding: “For the citizens of Northwich and Warrington that was just as well because...neither offender was joking when the Facebook entry was set up.”

The judges also dismissed five appeals in burglary cases, but allowed three challenges relating to handling offences and reduced the custodial terms originally given.