Politics

From: First published: 26 January 2017 Part of: Chief Constable briefs Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Justice Minister on attempted murder investigation The Secretary of State and the Justice Minister met the Chief Constable to… read more

The Court of Appeal has today increased the sentences of 2 men from Sale, Manchester following a referral under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Mark Marfleet, 37, and Paul Warmisham, 35, were sentenced at Manchester Crown Court for a number of offences including conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to cause explosions.

Between June 2015 and September 2015 the pair stole two cash machines and attempted to steal another, using explosives to blow the front of the machine to access the money inside.

A woman and her four-year-old son who were living in the flat above one of the cash machines had to be rescued through an upstairs window after the blast damaged their home and filled the property with smoke.

The financial loss and damage caused to property totalled to about £138,000.

Whilst on bail for these offences, Marfleet also robbed a newsagents with another man who remains unidentified. The two men were armed and during the robbery doused the shopkeeper in petrol and threatened to set him alight.

Marfleet was sentenced to 11 and a half years imprisonment, whilst Warmisham received a 7 and a half year custodial sentence.

Following a referral to the Court of Appeal by the Solicitor General Robert Buckland QC MP, the sentences for both offenders were found to be unduly lenient. The judge then increased Marfleet and Warmisham’s sentences’ to 18 years and 13 years respectively.

Following the hearing, the Solicitor General said:

“The actions of these offenders showed a serious lack of consideration for the safety of those around them. The long lasting effects on the victim and her young son cannot be underestimated.

“I am pleased that the Court of Appeal has agreed that the original sentence was unduly lenient and has sought to increase the sentences given to these offenders.”

Last year saw a 17-year high in the number of cars built in the UK, official SMMT records have revealed. In 2016, 1.7 million cars came off the production line, up 8.5% on the year before.

Demand from overseas has helped to drive this increase with more than 1.3 million cars destined for export to over 160 countries. The manufacture of premium brands has helped make the UK the second biggest producer of premium cars after Germany.

With a car rolling off the production line every 20 seconds, and with over 163,000 people employed in the industry, the UK auto sector has seen a real revival.

Business Secretary Greg Clark welcomed the news:

Our modern industrial strategy will make the UK one of the most competitive places in the world to grow a business and these figures show why the UK automotive sector has such a vital role to play as we build on our strengths and extend excellence into the future. We are providing long-term investment and support, so that all our auto companies, and the vital supply chain it supports, can strive for even greater success in 2017.

Government is continuing to back the UK auto sector. That is why, on top of the £1 billion government and industry has committed to research and development, a further £390 million, announced at Autumn Statement, will be invested to develop and accelerate the transition to cleaner, connected and autonomous vehicles, strengthening the UK’s position as a leader in this vital sector.

Alongside this, the Automotive Investment Organisation, created in 2013, has already helped create or safeguard 20,000 jobs in the UK automotive supply chain and secured £1.5 billion in new capital investment.