Disgraced former North West broadcaster Stuart Hall has had his 15-month sentence doubled today after his original term was branded ‘unduly lenient’ by judges.
Hall, 83, was jailed in June after admitting 14 counts of sexual assault against girls aged from nine to 17 between 1967 and 1985, and will now serve 30 months.
The case was referred to the court by Attorney General Dominic Grieve who argued that Hall’s sentence was ‘inadequate’.
He said: “I asked the court to consider the multiple offending by Stuart Hall over a prolonged period of time which involved numerous victims.
“I also asked that the court take into account the breaches of trust in this case – Hall carried out some of these offences in places where the victims were entitled to feel safe, he used his celebrity status to invite them to attend the BBC, and he also displayed an element of planning and premeditation.
“I am pleased that the court found that 15 months was unduly lenient and have today increased that sentence to 30 months and I hope that this case has highlighted the fact that historical sexual offences are always taken very seriously and show that the law still applies, whoever the offender may be.”
However, Crispin Aylett QC, for Hall, had said the sentence was “entirely appropriate” given Hall’s age, the facts that he pleaded guilty early and that his last offence occurred 27 years ago.
He had told the court: “If the object was to see this man punished, disgraced and financially ruined then all of that has been more than achieved.”
Disgraced former North West broadcaster Stuart Hall has had his 15-month sentence doubled today after his original term was branded ‘unduly lenient’ by judges.
Hall, 83, was jailed in June after admitting 14 counts of sexual assault against girls aged from nine to 17 between 1967 and 1985, and will now serve 30 months.
The case was referred to the court by Attorney General Dominic Grieve who argued that Hall’s sentence was ‘inadequate.
He said: “I asked the court to consider the multiple offending by Stuart Hall over a prolonged period of time which involved numerous victims.
“I also asked that the court take into account the breaches of trust in this case – Hall carried out some of these offences in places where the victims were entitled to feel safe, he used his celebrity status to invite them to attend the BBC, and he also displayed an element of planning and premeditation.
“I am pleased that the court found that 15 months was unduly lenient and have today increased that sentence to 30 months and I hope that this case has highlighted the fact that historical sexual offences are always taken very seriously and show that the law still applies, whoever the offender may be.”
However, Crispin Aylett QC, for Hall, had said the sentence was ‘entirely appropriate’ given Hall’s age, the facts that he pleaded guilty early and that his last offence occurred 27 years ago.
He had told the court: “If the object was to see this man punished, disgraced and financially ruined then all of that has been more than achieved.”
Picture courtesy of Channel 4 via Youtube, with thanks.
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