[Home] [Databases] [World Law] [Multidatabase Search] [Help] [Feedback]
	England and Wales Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) Decisions
You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> England and Wales Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) Decisions >> F, R v [2011] EWCA Crim 2812 (18 November 2011) URL: http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2011/2812.html Cite as: [2011] EWCA Crim 2812

[New search] [Printable RTF version] [Help]

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL
CRIMINAL DIVISION

		Royal Courts of Justice Strand London, WC2A 2LL
		18th November 2011

1. MR JUSTICE MACDUFF: This is an appeal against sentence brought with leave of the single judge.
2. R F was born on [a date in] 1994. She was 16 years old at the date of the offence and at the date of sentence. She is now 17. She had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to an offence of robbery and was sentenced to 18 months' detention and training order, along with a co-defendant, Lois Hunt. They had each participated in this robbery. They were of similar age and they received identical sentences.
3. The facts of the case make depressing reading. These two defendants, along with another girl, who was not apprehended, were out at 9 o'clock at night and had been drinking. The victim, Nasima Begum, was out alone and had not been drinking. She was attacked by these three young women, one of them wielding a broken bottle and one of them shouting out it was a "Paki". Nasima Begum's handbag was snatched from her. Abuse was shouted. She was threatened with the bottle. She was knocked to the ground. She was kicked and the three assailants ran off laughing.
4. The appellant was detected because fingerprints on papers taken from the victim's handbag were hers. The victim had found the handbag nearby when she recovered from this attack. Items, including a bank card, a purse and a driving licence had been stolen. The handbag had been damaged.
5. This was a wicked attack in which the appellant fully participated, although it is not clear whether it was she or one of the others who had the bottle in hand. We are prepared to give the appellant the benefit of the doubt in that regard.
6. This was a frightening experience for the unfortunate Nasima Begum. It has left her worrying about being out alone at night. At one point she was on her knees screaming for help which did not come, with blood coming out of her nose.
7. This appellant has no previous conviction and all the signs are that she has learned her lesson. She comes from a good family. It is said that she will never re-offend and that following her arrest she changed her ways. She had stopped drinking. It was a salutatory lesson and we hope she has indeed mended her ways. But one lesson is that the price has to be paid. She pleaded guilty and she was given the proper credit for that. Contrition is a start but it is also wholly right that there should be proper punishment. Where, as here, the sentence cannot be characterised as manifestly excessive, or wrong in principle, the wickedness of what was done can be brought home by serving the sentence. The sentence cannot be faulted.
8. This appeal is dismissed.
(Approved as perfected and corrected herein Alistair MacDuff 01.12.11)