Search results for Caerphilly

Record details

Timothy O'Sullivan jailed for sex offender registration breach

Timothy O'Sullivan, 46, of Caerphilly (now of no fixed abode), has been sentenced to 12 weeks’ imprisonment after admitting he failed to comply with sex offender notification requirements.

O’Sullivan, a registered sex offender subject to a notification order under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, did not register at a police station by midnight on 4 August, as required by his seven-day registration obligations.

He appeared at Newport Magistrates’ Court and entered guilty pleas to the breach and to possessing cannabis in Cardiff on 8 August 2026.

The court noted the offence was committed during the operational period of a suspended sentence and cited a “flagrant disregard for court orders” in deciding to impose an immediate custodial term. Magistrates said the sentence would have been 18 weeks but for the guilty plea. O’Sullivan was also ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs.

No separate penalty was imposed for the cannabis offence, though the drug was ordered to be forfeited and destroyed.

Record details

A man who raped and sexually assaulted two children has been jailed for more than a decade.

Callum Waterhouse, aged 27 of Llwyn-Yr-Eos, in Nelson, Wales, has been jailed for 16 years after a jury unanimously found him guilty of nine offences following an eight-day trial at Bristol Crown Court which concluded in March.

Among the offences Waterhouse was found guilty of, these included some ‘multiple offence’ charges, which means several incidents have been compiled into one charge.

He was convicted of:

• Two counts of multiple rapes of a girl under 13 years old
• Two counts of multiple assaults of a child by penetration
• Sexual assault of a child under 13
• Rape of a girl
• Three counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15 when the offender was over 18.

Waterhouse, then 18, moved from Wales to Bristol in 2016 where he groomed a child and raped and sexually assaulted her on a number of occasions.

When he moved back to the Torfaen area of Wales later that year, at the age of 19, he groomed a teenage girl and raped and had sexual activity with her on a number of occasions.

The investigation first came to our attention in 2018 when Waterhouse’s first victim told the second victim what had happened, resulting in a report to our colleagues at Gwent Police who reported the matter to ourselves.

In a statement, Waterhouse’s first victim said:

“Callum Waterhouse didn’t just take my childhood, he took my teenage years and the pain and trauma will live with me, but it won’t get the best of me.

“It took 10 years to get to court, but I am finally being heard now.”

She added:

“I hate that this happened to me, I hate that he’s had such an affect, impact and change on my life.

“No jail time will ever give me what I should’ve had back. I blame Callum Waterhouse for the character you’ve forced me to be, for the failure in relationships and the lack of confidence and for making men my biggest nightmare.”

Waterhouse’s second victim said:

“I felt lost and unsure about how to navigate and transition into adulthood. It has caused me eight years of constant grief and worry, feeling like I haven’t been able to move on with my life.”

The Crown Prosecution Service agreed charges in relation to both victims and, following an update to the first victim in July 2023, she made further disclosures about Waterhouse and he was charged with further offences in October 2023.

The case, which was due to go to trial in November 2024, was then postponed until the end of February this year.

On Thursday 5 March this year, Waterhouse was found guilty and he was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court last Thursday (7 May) to 16 years in prison.

He was told he must service a minimum of nine and a half years before he would be eligible to apply for parole.

In her statement, the victim said directly to Waterhouse:

“Today, I walk away from this, leaving all the evil and darkness with you. I give you my pain, my flashbacks and my fears, they will now be yours and I will now build a beautiful life for myself.

“I will finally know what happiness and freedom feels like, I refuse to live my life as your victim, I will work to rebuild myself. I refuse to let you have a hold on me any longer and you will now live with all the questions and I hope you live with guilty for the rest of your life.”

Record details

The first person in Gwent to be convicted of a cyberflashing offence has been jailed for 13 months.

Ryan Thomas was convicted under the Online Safety Act after cyberflashing became an offence in England and Wales on 31 January 2024.

The 33-year-old from Abercarn was on bail after being charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl when he sent a video of his genitals to a woman.

He was found guilty of both offences at Newport Crown Court on Wednesday 1 April.

Detective Superintendent, Michelle Chaplin said:

“Ryan Thomas is a dangerous, sexual predator who gains sexual gratification by causing alarm and distress to others.

“Cyberflashing is a serious crime which leaves a lasting impact on victims. It is not and should not be dismissed as ‘banter’ or a thoughtless joke.

“The recent Angiolini inquiry suggests that there is a strong link between these types of offences and a potential escalation toward serious sexual/violent offences and so we would encourage anyone who has been a victim of this crime to come forward.

“I hope today’s sentencing sends a clear message that cyberflashing is a serious offence and that perpetrators cannot hide behind a screen.”

Ryan Thomas was convicted of sexual assault against a female child (aged 14) and cyberflashing on Wednesday 1 April. He was sentenced to x at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday 15 April.

Record details

POLICE have released the mugshot of a man who was jailed for raping a woman and used a sex toy to “degrade” her during a campaign of sexual abuse.

Balazs Uliczki, 45, a Hungarian national living in Risca, used his victim for his own “sexual desires”, a judge said.

He had also used violence during the assaults during which she was vaginally and anally raped.

The defendant was jailed after being found guilty following a trial at Newport Crown Court of seven offences.

A jury convicted him of six counts of rape and one of assault by penetration.

Uliczki had denied all charges.

Ieuan Bennett, prosecuting, read out the victim’s moving impact statement at Cardiff Crown Court.

She said: “I haven’t been able to move on with my life as I had to recall it all over again.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to trust another man.

“I lived my life in fear – I was so scared of him.”

Mr Bennett said the vibrator had been used in some of the offences to “degrade” his victim.

She added: "I was scared to leave my own home and I was always looking over my shoulder.”

The defendant, of Sarn Place, who followed proceedings with the help of a Hungarian interpreter, had one previous conviction for harassment.

Judge Celia Hughes told Uliczki: “You used her for your own sexual desires.

“Your victim felt degraded and you raped her at your will.”

She added: “You have a complete lack of remorse and empathy for your victim.”

The defendant was jailed for 11 years and ordered to register as a sex offender for an indefinite period.

Uliczki was also made the subject of a restraining order not to contact the woman for an indefinite period.

He was also ordered to pay a statutory victim surcharge following his release from prison.

Record details

A RAPIST told a woman who didn’t want to have sex with him: “Actually, you’ll enjoy it in a minute.”

Michael Steer, 37, from Argoed, near Blackwood was found guilty by a jury following a trial of two counts of rape.

The defendant also said to her during one of the sexual assaults: “Don’t fight me.”

Heavy drinker Steer was told by Judge Celia Hughes: “You were abusing alcohol.”

She added that the conclusion of his probation report had stated that: “You have an inflated sense of self.

“You have a lack of respect of women and for their autonomy – you will have a long time in custody to consider your attitude towards women.”

Steer was jailed for six years and six months and will have to serve two-thirds of that sentence in prison before being released on licence.

Andrew Davies, prosecuting, told Newport Crown Court: “In the victim impact statement, the complainant said that the defendant left her feeling worthless and broken.

“She said she never thought anyone would believe her and that it had never happened and that they would take his word over hers.

“The victim felt relief when she reported it to the police.

“She says she still has flashbacks and that she found the whole court process stressful and it caused her anxiety.”

Peter Donnison representing Steer said: “Although there are two counts of rape I would ask that there are concurrent sentences as they are the same victim.

“This is a defendant with no previous convictions and the court should also take into account the three and a half year delay between the victim reporting the matter to the police and him being charged.”

His barrister added: “He was the full-time carer for his mother and she attended court throughout the proceedings.

“She is now being cared for by his sister.”

Judge Hughes told Steer: “She clearly didn’t want to have sex with you but you told her, ‘Don’t fight me.’

“On the other occasion you said: ‘Actually, you’ll enjoy it in a minute.’

“The rape lasted about 10 minutes.”

The defendant will have to register as a sex offender for an indefinite period and was made the subject of a 10-year restraining order not to contact her.

Record details

A MAN is facing jail after he was found guilty of a child sex offence by a jury following a trial.

Ryan Dymond, aged 32, from Caerphilly was convicted of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of an underage girl.

The offence happened in Cardiff in May 2021, prosecutor Alexander Greenwood told jurors at the capital city’s crown court.

Dymond, of Farm Road, had denied any wrongdoing.

After the guilty verdict was returned, the defendant’s barrister Bethan Evans asked if the case could be adjourned for the preparation of pre-sentence report.

The judge, Recorder Andrew Hammond, said sentence will take place on June 6.

He advised Dymond to co-operate with the probation service in the meantime.

Mr Greenwood said the defendant will have to register as a sex offender following his conviction.

The length of registration will be determined on sentence.

The defendant was granted conditional bail.

Record details

A Welsh paedophile has been banned from going to children’s parks and swimming pools after he sexually abused a young boy.

Andrew Rowe, 47, from Caerphilly was jailed for six months after he admitted assaulting a boy under the age of 13 by touching.

The offence took place last month on September 25, prosecutor Michael Williams said.

Newport magistrates were asked to take in account Rowe’s guilty plea.

The defendant, of no fixed abode, will have to register as a sex offender for the next seven years.

A seven-year sexual harm prevention order was imposed which places a number of restrictions on Rowe once he is released from prison.

One of these prohibits him: “From attending places where large numbers of children are likely to be present, such as a play area in a park, sports fields where children’s clubs are participating or leisure facilities such as swimming pools."

Record details

A child abuser who abused a young girl left money for her after performing utterly degrading acts upon her. The victim said the abuse had led her to make an attempt on her own life.

Michael Ellis, 57, carried out a campaign of sexual abuse against his victim, who was just seven-years-old when he began to indecently assault her. The assaults included touching her intimately underneath her clothing and attempting to perform indecent acts on her with his fingers.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Friday heard Ellis also attempted to rape the victim. The abuse she suffered was characterised as "repeated and incessant" and she described him "depriving her of a happy childhood".

The defendant of Pengam, Caerphilly, told the victim if she reported the abuse, she would be put into care and no one would believe her. The indecent assaults were compounded by Ellis leaving money after abusing the victim, which left feeling guilty about receiving gifts from people into adulthood.

Ellis, of Fair View, denied the offences after the abuse was reported to the police in 2019 but was found guilty of one count of attempted rape and 14 counts of indecent assault. The court heard he had a previous caution for an offence of criminal damage.

Reading her victim personal statement to the court, the victim said: "The abuse I suffered has had a huge impact on my mental health.... He deprived me of a happy childhood by abusing me. In my early to mid teens I started suffering from depression and I have taken medication throughout my life. In 2012 my depression got so bad I tried to take my own life by taking an overdose....

"I struggle to trust people and push people away. I don't have many friends and I am a bit of a loner. I struggle to accept gifts from people and I believe it was due to Michael leaving cash for me after abusing me... I suffer flashbacks of what Michael did to me. I didn't want to have children as I was fearful they would suffer abuse. As a child I missed a lot of school, I didn't want to go into lessons as I couldn't focus...

"I have thought about the abuse I suffered and the police investigation every day, this in itself along with going through the court process has been a stressful experience and it has been a difficult five years as a result. Completing this statement has been a form of closure."

In mitigation, the court heard Ellis had difficulty in terms of learning and education as a child. It was also said there had been decades since the offences had taken place and he had not reoffended.

Judge Matthew Porter-Bryant sentenced Ellis to a total of 11 years imprisonment, with an extended licence period of one year. He was made subject to a sex offender notification requirement indefinitely, and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and restraining order for 30 years.

Record details

A MAN who shared a child abuse film with fellow paedophiles was also caught with “sadistic” images showing depraved acts committed against babies and young children.

David Owen from Caerphilly was part of an online chat group when he passed around a category A indecent video showing a five-year-old being sexually assaulted.

Category A images depict the worse kind of child abuse.

Owen had also been talking about the sexual abuse of children with other members of the group.

Police found nearly 100 indecent images on the defendant’s iPhone when they raided the 41-year-old’s home address.

Alexander Greenwood, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court they discovered 31 category A, 24 category B and 39 category C images on Owen’s iPhone.

The victims were aged between six months old and 10.

Owen admitted distributing an indecent image of a child, possessing a prohibited image of a child and three counts of possessing an indecent image of a child.

The defendant, of Bryn-Rhedyn, was also found with bestiality images of adults having sex with animals.

He further admitted possessing an extreme pornographic image.

The offences were committed between November 11, 2022 and December 20, 2022.

Owen, represented by Ben Waters, was a man of previous good character with no convictions recorded against him.

The court was asked to give the defendant the appropriate credit for his guilty pleas.

Judge Carl Harrison said to Owen: “You had sadistic material which showed the victims suffering, some of them as young as six months old.

“Your offending is further aggravated by the fact that you were part of an active network.”

He jailed the defendant for two years and two months and told him he would have to register as a sex offender for the next 10 years.

Owen was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention for 10 years and ordered to pay a £228 victim surcharge following his release form prison.

Record details

A PAEDOPHILE jailed for 20 years for repeatedly raping a young girl was caught after she saw an NSPCC sex education talk at her school.

Andrew Flecknell’s victim told her mother of his “hideous” abuse following the showing of the children’s charity PANTS programme.

The 38-year-old defendant from the Bedwas area of Caerphilly was condemned by Judge Lucy Crowther who told him: “This was a campaign of rape.”

Flecknell sexually assaulted the girl “more times than she can remember”.

Clare Wilks, prosecuting, said that the child’s mother made a victim impact statement on her behalf which she read at Cardiff Crown Court.

It stated: “This has had a massive impact on her.

“I still don’t feel as if this is real, it’s heart-breaking. This is hideous.

“She amazes me with her bravery and resilience.”

The victim was described as a “fun, caring and smart child” who could now become “upset for no reason”.

Flecknell admitted four counts of rape and three of sexual assault.

Kevin Seal representing Flecknell said: “His best mitigation is his guilty pleas and he also has no previous convictions.

“He has suffered from anxiety and depression.

“The defendant has deficiencies in his thinking.

“He knows he’s going to receive a lengthy custodial sentence and that he deserves that.”

Judge Crowther told Flecknell: “It was as a result of the PANTS class that she told her mum of what you had done.

“She told her you had put your private parts into her.

“The victim said this had happened more times than she can remember.

“It is too early to say what the future holds for her.”

The judge added: “You initially denied that you had no sexual interest in children.

“That’s nonsense because you clearly do.

“You are a paedophile and you are sexually interested in children.

“You are a dangerous offender and you don’t seem to realise what you have done.”

Flecknell will have to register as a sex offender for life.

Record details

A paedophile carried out years of sexual abuse against a girl which began when she was just six years old. As a result of the abuse, she tried to take her own life on two occasions.

David Devlin, 45, of Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly, took advantage of his victim and told her not to report his sexual deviancy or he would be sent to prison. The abuse culminated with the defendant forcing the victim to perform a sex act on him and sexually assaulting her.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Friday heard hundreds of texts passed between Devlin and his victim, which was described by prosecutors as being "more like boyfriend and girlfriend". Judge Matthew Porter-Bryant described the texts as "grooming" behaviour, which sought to normalise his sexual behaviour in the victim's mind.

The victim first told her family and school about the sexual abuse in 2022 and Devlin was arrested. A search of his home led to a laptop being seized which was found to contain an indecent image of a child. An image of bestiality was also discovered on the defendant's phone.

Devlin, of Station Road, denied the allegations but he was found guilty of six counts of sexual assault of a child, one count of assault by penetration of a child, two counts of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, possession of an indecent image and possession of an extreme image. The court heard he was of a previous good character.

In a victim personal statement read to the court by prosecutor Joshua Scouller, the victim said: "When I first told school and family about what was happening, I closed myself off from friends, family and the outside world. I wouldn't leave my room and go outside with friends. I wouldn't do normal things like eat or drink. I would stay in my room and not want to leave. I would get up in the night with nightmares and flashbacks...

"I am scared of people now, I know what people are capable of. I feel I am constantly depressed and have felt like this for the last two years. I feel numb and angry to the outside world and sad when I am alone. At times I haven't felt like getting out of bed, I don't go on my phone or fall asleep, I lie there thinking about everything that's happened with Dave and cry... One day I was really struggling with it all and I decided to kill myself." The victim said she took an overdose of tablets and later told a school counsellor what she had done, and was taken to hospital. She also attempted to take her own life on a second occasion, and harmed herself with knives and lighters.

In mitigation, it was said Devlin still maintains his innocence and claimed the victim was after compensation. As a result of his convictions he has lost his job and accepts he has "let people down". Sentencing, Judge Porter-Bryant said the defendant is a "high risk of serious harm to female children" and used "grooming and manipulation" to sexually abuse his victim.

Devlin was sentenced to eight years and six months imprisonment, with an extended licence period of two years and six months, after being found to be a dangerous offender. He will serve two thirds of the custodial sentence before he will be eligible for parole. The defendant was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements, and will be made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order at a later hearing.

Record details

A PAEDOPHILE ex-football coach told a 12-year-old boy he was gorgeous and that he would love to have sex with him.

David Robb, 82, from Caerphilly sent his victim ‘Mario’ an indecent picture of another boy who had his buttocks exposed.

He was also having sexualised chats online with a 14-year-old called ‘Luca’.

The pensioner’s offending took place just weeks after he had been handed a suspended sentence after being caught with child rape videos.

A police officer supervising his sex offender order found Robb was using a tablet and mobile phone he had hidden from them when his home was visited.

Robb had also used software to “self-destruct” his browsing history within 24 hours of the search which also breached the terms of the order.

Nil Strobl, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court: “The defendant was communicating with a boy called Mario.

“He told him, ‘My favourite age is 12 or 13.’

“The defendant said to him, ‘I think you are gorgeous – I’d love to have sex with you.’”

Robb, of Edward Street, Cwmcarn pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child, distributing an indecent image of a child, possession of an indecent image of a child and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

They took place between August and September last year.

He has a history of sex offences committed against children.

In 1976 he received a suspended prison sentence for sexually assaulting a girl.

The defendant was convicted of a sex offence in 1990 when he was the manager of a children’s football team.

Robb had persuaded a boy to sleep in the same bed as him before an attempted sex act took place.

He was sentenced to a community order in 2015 for possession of an indecent image of a child.

Laurence Jones representing Robb said his client knew he was going to receive a long prison sentence and understood he might now die behind bars.

The court heard the defendant’s wife had passed away while he was remanded in custody awaiting sentence.

“It seems to me, having discussed matters with him, that in the past these feelings (of being sexually attracted to young boys) had been repressed by fatherhood, work and caring for his wife,” Mr Jones added.

Robb was jailed for 45 months and made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

The defendant will have to register as a sex offender until 2034.

Record details

GWENT Police have released the custody picture of a paedophile caught defying sex offender register terms.

Dewi Mortimer broke the law by not telling his supervising officer of numerous nights he had spent away from home.

The defendant stayed at the Premier Inn hotel in Caerphilly with a girlfriend 20 times.

Mortimer also breached a sex offences prevention order by deleting the internet history on his mobile phone after searching for dating sites.

He admitted both charges.

The 27-year-old was locked up for 14 months at Cardiff Crown Court.

Mortimer, formerly of Blackwood, now of Bradford Street, Caerphilly was jailed in 2020 for grooming a 15-year-old schoolgirl and sending a lewd picture of himself to her on Snapchat.

Record details

A convicted paedophile sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl he approached in the street by touching her breasts and vagina and forcibly kissing her. After the assault, he grabbed hold of her mobile and entered his phone number.

Jonathan Swift, 34, approached his young victim in Caerphilly at around 5.45pm on April 9. She did not know the defendant, who asked her for a lighter. He went on to ask her if she was single, and when being told she was 16-years-old he told her she looked older and lied about his own age.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard Swift followed her before grabbing her hand and pulling her onto a bench. She tried to get up and leave but he grabbed her and kissed her. The victim pushed him away and told him she needed to go home. The defendant pulled her back onto the bench and kissed her on the lips, forcibly putting his tongue in her mouth.

Prosecutor Ffion Tomos said Swift then put his hands down her top and touched her breasts as the victim continued to struggle. He then exposed his penis for two to three minutes and asked the girl if they could "go somewhere more discreet". A passer by walked past, and the defendant put his penis away.

He then placed his hands down her trousers and began sexually assaulting her. The victim later described the attack as "painful" and pulled his hand out of her trousers. Swift asked her to come to his house, but she again repeated she wanted to go home and tried to walk away

The defendant kept trying to pull her back, asked her if she was on Snapchat before grabbing her phone and entered his mobile phone into the device. Eventually, the victim managed to escape and raised the alarm by messaging a friend.

The police were called and Swift, of Snowden Court, was arrested the next day and interviewed, claiming he was drunk and sexual contact was consensual. He later pleaded guilty to assault by penetration and sexual assault.

The court heard the defendant was convicted of sexual assault in 2010, when he attacked a woman at a bus stop. He later breached a Sexual Harm Prevention Order by approaching a 13-year-old and he was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in 2017 for sexual activity with a child under 16, who he had sex with in an alleyway. He was on licence at the time of the current offence.

In a victim personal statement read to the court, the 16-year-old victim said: "Since the incident it has completely ruined my independence and confidence. I never leave the house alone when I go out and make sure I am with friends because I am in constant fear it could happen again at any time. I have lost all trust with anyone I do not know. I used to be able to go out with friend without thinking of being attacked by a stranger. I constantly need to keep myself busy to take my mind off what happened that day.

"Sometimes in school I lose focus on my work as my memory takes me back to that horrible incident. The trauma even affects my sleep, before bed when I am trying to drift off I get flashbacks from the incident and it's like I'm reliving it. I constantly look over my shoulder when I am out and I am worried I will be attacked again. No teenager should go through what I have gone through. I am happy the man who did this to me is in prison, I think that's where he should stay. He's a dangerous man and I do not want him to do this to others."

In mitigation, David Rees said his client was "deeply remorseful" and was in drink at the time of the offence. He said the defendant had been "outed" as a convicted sex offender in November last year and had experienced "repercussions, abuse and threats".

Sentencing, Judge Lucy Crowther said: "You don't have any understanding of the impact of your offending. You said you are not attracted to young females despite your offending history. You have sought to minimise and justify your behaviour on this occasion in exactly the same way you have before...

"You are a sexual predator and you pose a significant risk of serious harm to members of the public, specifically young girls and young women... You are a dangerous offender."

Swift was sentenced to eight years imprisonment, with an extended licence period of six years. He will serve two thirds of the custodial sentence before he is considered for parole. The defendant was also made subject to a restraining order for 30 years and remains subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and sex offender notification requirements for life.

Record details

A convicted rapist has had his five-year sentence at a young offender institute increased to seven years, after it was successfully appealed by the Attorney General’s Office.

Samuel Davies, 20, of St Davids Way, Caerphilly, was originally sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on May 11, this year.

Davies had pleaded guilty to one count of rape, which saw him given a five-year sentence. He also pleaded guilty to a count of assault by penetration, for which he was given a three-year and eight-month sentence.

Both sentences were quashed by the Court of Appeal and increased to seven years and six months, and six years respectively. Both will run concurrently, meaning Davies will serve a total of seven years and six months.

The requirements of being placed on the Sex Offenders Register, Sexual Harm Prevention Order, as well as a restraining order, are still in place.

The Attorney General’s Office sent the case to the Court of Appeal under its Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme.

Under this, members of the public can ask the Attorney General’s Office to review criminal sentences handed down by Crown Court within 28 days of sentencing.

In its legal argument to the Court of Appeal, the Attorney General’s Office said the starting point for Davies’ sentence was too low because there were multiple aggravating features, such as the vulnerability of the victim, the sustained nature of the attack, and the fact that Davies took pictures and tried to hide evidence.

Others included the influence of alcohol and the arrest of a third party during the investigation.

It was argued the starting point of the sentence should have been ten years; before any adjustment for Davies’ age.

The Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP said: “This was an appalling case, and I would like to express my sympathies to the victim.

“I strongly believe that the original sentence was unduly lenient and thankfully the Court of Appeal has agreed.

“The court’s decision to add a further two-and-a-half years to the offender’s sentence clearly demonstrates that we will do everything in our powers to punish those who carry out abhorrent offences.”