Rapist receives longer prison sentence following referral under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme
A man who violently raped a teenage victim will spend longer in prison after his sentence was referred under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
A man who violently raped a teenage victim has been ordered to serve a longer prison sentence after his case was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
Matthew Grant, 35, repeatedly raped the 16-year-old victim over the course of a night and into the following morning. The violence used against the victim during the rapes included punches, throwing her against a wall and strangulation. Over the course of the rapes and assault the victim suffered a perforated ear drum and sustained heavy bruising all over her body.
On 5 July 2022, Grant was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment at Wolverhampton Crown Court for offences including 6 counts of rape and a count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Following the sentencing, Grant’s sentence was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
On 29 September 2022, the Court found Grant’s original sentence to be unduly lenient, and he was ordered to serve a new sentence of 13 years’ imprisonment.
Speaking after the hearing, HM Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson MP said:
This was a harrowing case of rape which has left the victim with lasting psychological damage.
While no sentence can repair the harm caused by Matthew Grant’s crimes, I welcome the decision of the Court of Appeal to impose a stronger sentence which better reflects the severity of the dreadful offending which has taken place.