Summary of judgment - Court dismisses appeal against sentence for domestic violence offences - R v Christopher Hughes
| Jurisdiction | Northern Ireland |
| Neutral Citation | Summary of judgment -Court dismisses appeal against sentence for domestic violence offences - R v Christopher Hughes |
| Court | Lands Tribunal (Northern Ireland),Court of Judicature (NI) |
| Date | 07 March 2022 |
Judicial Communications Office
1
7 March 2022
COURT DISMISSES APPEAL AGAINST SENTENCE FOR DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE OFFENCES
Summary of Judgment
The Court of Appeal
1
today provided guidance in relation to sentencing in cases involving multiple
incidents of domestic violence.
Factual Background
On 19 August 2021, Christopher Hughes (“the appellant”) was sentenced to 50 months’
imprisonment for a total of 15 offences (50% to be served in custody and 50% on licence) following a
plea of guilty on re-arraignment. The offences comprised: assault occasioning actual bodily harm
(x1), common assault (x10), possession of an offensive weapon (x1), attempted criminal damage (x1)
and using a motor vehicle without insurance (x1). The sentences imposed were on a mixed
consecutive and concurrent basis. There were three substantive sentences made up of 24 months,
18 months and 8 months to comprise all of the offences.
The case arose in a domestic context. The appellant and the complainant had been in a relationship
for almost two years, the second year of which was categorised by a catalogue of violence and abuse.
The complainant contacted the police on 22 May 2020 to enquire about making a complaint about
domestic violence she had suffered from her former partner. The offences spanned ten distinct
incidents over a period of approximately a year. The court outlined the incidents in paragraphs [9] –
[19] of its judgment.
The appellant
At police interview, the appellant confirmed that he and the complainant had an argumentative
relationship but denied assaulting her. He accepted that he had been very spiteful to the
complainant and told her a lot of lies but said he never cheated on her. The appellant claimed he
only hit the complainant once when he grabbed her by the throat and pushed her. When other
evidence was put to the appellant at interview he became angry saying “This is a joke. You can see
who is being the vindictive one here.”
The appellant had eight previous criminal convictions including three for common assault and a
caution for assault occasioning actual bodily harm. There are pending prosecutions in the Republic
of Ireland.
When interviewed for a pre-sentence report, the appellant acknowledged the harm he had caused.
He disputed some of the detail of the complainant’s statement but accepted his aggressive behaviour
was unacceptable. He volunteered that his “domestically abusive behaviour started off as “light”
such as a push to the shoulder but that it escalated.” In relation to the assault occasioning actual
bodily harm the appellant said he had not intended to hurt his partner to the extent that he did . He
said he frequently grabbed her by the neck and acknowledged kicking and hitting the complainant
1
The panel was Keegan LCJ, McBride J and McFarland J. Keegan LCJ delivered the judgment of the court.
To continue reading
Request your trial