The Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) has reduced the sentence imposed on Daniel Staples for one count of stalking involving serious alarm and distress, following submissions by Anna Draper of QEB Hollis Whiteman.
Mr Staples had originally received a sentence of two years and six months’ imprisonment. Representing Staples in the Court of Appeal, Anna Draper advanced that the sentence was manifestly excessive, focusing in particular on the categorisation of the offence and the assessment of culpability.
The Court accepted that the sentencing judge had erred in placing the offence within the high culpability bracket. Having been referred to the relevant authorities, the Court concluded that the offence fell within the medium culpability bracket and the original sentence of 30 months was substituted for a term of 15 months’ imprisonment.
Anna Draper