A woman who carried out a spate of robberies has today been given a custodial sentence after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred her suspended sentence to the Court of Appeal.

Sherie Leigh North, 23, and another offender committed a number of robberies in late 2018. Their first victim was North’s grandfather, who they robbed twice, stealing jewellery and £160 in cash. During the two robberies they threatened the victim with a hammer, and pushed and hit the victim.

They also robbed an adult store, with North entering the store first before her co-offender rushed into the shop and attacked an employee. The 2 took the employee’s chain and £80 from the till.

North was originally sentenced in December 2018 to 2 years imprisonment suspended for 2 years at Bradford Crown Court. Today, the Court of Appeal has given her an immediate custodial sentence of 4 years.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General said:

“North terrorised her own grandfather to feed her drug addiction. I hope that a custodial sentence gives North the time she needs to reflect on her actions and overcome her addiction.”

The members of the Troika (Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States) are alarmed about the escalating conflict around Yei, which represents a flagrant breach of the December 2017 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and the September 2018 revitalized peace agreement. These military actions, and the trading of blame, must stop.

We are particularly disturbed that fighting by all parties in the Yei area has severe humanitarian consequences for the local population. Thousands of South Sudanese have been displaced and fled across the border into the Democratic Republic of the Congo in recent days to escape fighting and violence against civilians, the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees has confirmed.

This renewed violence risks undermining the peace agreement and lowers confidence of the Troika and other international partners in the parties’ seriousness and commitment to peace at a critical time of the pre-transitional period of the revitalized peace agreement.

We are concerned that if the situation escalates, the progress made in implementing the peace agreement will be irrevocably set back. In addition, if violence against civilians continues unchecked, it could fuel further cycles of retribution and atrocities.

All parties – the Government of South Sudan, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM-IO), and National Salvation Front – must end the violence immediately in fulfilment of the commitments they made in the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. Namely, they must ensure the safety of civilians and their freedom of movement, and guarantee safe routes for civilians to leave conflict areas. The parties must allow unrestricted access to Yei and the surrounding area for the UN Mission in South Sudan, the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, as well as all humanitarian actors, to enable them to effectively carry out their roles.

Regional leadership will be essential to securing progress on this matter. We urge the region to respect the UN Arms Embargo and to hold those responsible for violations of the peace agreement and Cessation of Hostilities Agreement to account in line with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) statement of 31 January that called for all parties to “cease hostilities and military preparations immediately.” The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) has a central role in holding the parties to these agreements accountable to their commitments. We urge IGAD to appoint a credible and empowered R-JMEC Chair as a matter of urgency.

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A man who engaged in sexual activity with an underage girl has been sent to prison after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred his suspended sentence for being too lenient.

Ian Chesworth, 36, was a family friend of the victim. The offending started after the victim, who was under 16 at the time, went to Chesworth’s home asking for advice on a personal matter. Following this, Chesworth arranged several other meetings with the victim, including 2 where he had sex with her and 2 when he masturbated in her presence.

Chesworth was originally sentenced in December 2018 to 2 years imprisonment suspended for 2 years at Lewes Crown Court. Today, the Court of Appeal jailed him for 3 years.

Commenting on the increase, the Solicitor General said:

“Chesworth abused a position of trust for his own gratification. I am pleased that the Court of Appeal has today decided that his offences warrant a custodial sentence, and hope this brings the victim and her family some comfort.”

Ian Chesworth has been jailed after his suspended sentence was found to be ‘unduly lenient’.

Sellafield Ltd employees have chosen Mind West Cumbria as the company’s charity of the year for 2019.

Workers at the nuclear site voted for the mental health charity in a recent poll, which would decide where their fundraising efforts will be directed for this year.

Fundraising activities will start with the auction of artwork produced for the Art of Reprocessing exhibition at the Beacon Museum, Whitehaven on Friday 15 March.

Local, regional, national and international artists were commissioned to produce artwork inspired by the life of Sellafield’s Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (Thorp). The plant sheared its last batch of used nuclear fuel in November last year and the artwork has been on display in the museum ever since.

Head of Community Relations, Gary McKeating, said:

Mind West Cumbria provides a life changing service to people in our area who need practical help and someone to listen.

Our employees at Sellafield raised over £22,000 for the Great North Air Ambulance in 2018 so I am excited to see how much we can raise for Mind.

Almost 6,000 people have been to see the Art of Reprocessing exhibition so we know that there is a real interest in the artwork. There are so many different pieces in different styles that there really is something for everyone, and what better way to mark the end of the exhibition than by raising money for such a great charity.

Dr Brian Campbell from Mind West Cumbria said:

We are delighted to have been chosen, especially because it is the people who work on the site who voted for us.

Every year we help hundreds of people here in West Cumbria, from Silloth and Wigton right down to Seascale and Gosforth, and everywhere in between.

We provide counselling and work with families and for many people suffering mental illness we are the first port of call.

They’re all different, and they all have their own stories. Mental illness does not discriminate and can affect anyone at any time. We rely completely on fundraising and volunteers and the money raised by Sellafield Ltd employees will make a huge difference to us.

The Art of Reprocessing exhibition is still open to the public – it closes the day of the sale on March 15th – so there is still time to go along and see the artwork before it is auctioned.

The evening will start at 1800 and will see 18 pieces auctioned. Tickets for the auction are free and available via Eventbrite. For more information and to view the artwork, visit the Beacon Museum website