Gary Boothe has his sentence increased to 8 years and six months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ extended licence.

A man who carried out two robberies armed with a knife has today had his jail-time extended after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred the original sentence to the Court of Appeal for being too low.

In November 2018, Gary Boothe, 40, robbed over £3,000 from two betting shops in the Poole and Bournemouth areas.

During the first robbery he threatened the lone member of staff present with a 6 inch breadknife, climbing onto the counter and crawling towards the frightened member of staff, before taking over £700 in cash. Two days later he targeted another bookmaker, waiting until several other customers had left the premises before jumping over the counter and threatening the lone female member of staff present with the knife.

Boothe also carried out a number of thefts around the same time. He had a number of previous convictions, including for burglary and shoplifting, and was under the influence of drugs at the time.

Boothe was originally sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison, with a licence extension of 5 years, at Bournemouth Crown Court. The Court of Appeal has today increased Boothe’s sentence to a 13 year extended sentence, comprising of 8 years and six months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ extended licence.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General said:

“These robberies had a serious impact on the members of staff and I am pleased the Court decided to increase the prison sentence to reflect the incredibly frightening ordeal these people went through. I hope the result will bring some comfort to Boothe’s victims.”

Sheffield man to pay £600 after avoiding a £30 annual licence

A 31-year-old man has been successfully prosecuted by the Environment Agency after being found guilty of fishing without a licence in October 2018.

The case was brought to Northampton Magistrates Court on 1 April 2019 where Carl Beresford from Steven Crescent, Chapletown, Sheffield, pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay a total penalty of £611.47. An annual fishing licence would have cost just £30.

The penalty includes a fine of £440 plus costs of £127.47 and a victim surcharge of £44 after Beresford was found in breach of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act (1975) on 2 October 2018 at A1 Fishery, South Muskham, Newark.

Following the verdict, Pete Haslock, Enforcement Team Leader for the Environment Agency in the East Midlands, said:

The case shows how seriously the courts take these offences and acts as a reminder to anglers of the importance of having a rod licence. We hope it will provide a deterrent to any angler who is thinking of fishing without a licence.

We would also like to remind anglers who wish to buy their licence online of the importance of buying it directly from GOV.UK as they will receive a reference number allowing them to go fishing on the same day.

Customers who use third-party sites may be charged more and might not get added to the official database as quickly.

All of the money raised from rod licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries, benefitting anglers and, for those caught cheating the system, we will prosecute.

Every year across the country, thousands of anglers are prosecuted for not having a fishing licence. As well as cheating other anglers, fishing illegally can carry a hefty penalty. Getting caught without a licence could land a fine of up to £2,500.

All income from rod licence sales is used to fund Environment Agency work to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries, including improving habitats for fish and facilities for anglers, tackling illegal fishing and working with partners to encourage people to give fishing a go.

Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence. A 1-day licence costs from just £6 and an annual licence costs from just £30 (concessions available). They are free for those aged 13 to 16. Licences are available online or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.

The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust. Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.

Two men from Kettering and Rushden have been fined for fishing without a licence.