Unduly lenient sentence appeal figures revealed
13 Jul 06
Crown Office publishes details of sentence appeals over the last three years
Unduly lenient sentences were overturned in the appeal courts in more than half of the cases put forward by the Crown Office in the last three years.
Since 2003, the Crown has appealed against 35 sentences, including that of Carol McMillan who was originally sentenced to three years' probation and 240 hours of community service in 2005 for killing a woman in a row over a parking space at a car boot sale. The sentence was overturned and she was sentenced to four years' imprisonment.
Other cases include sentences for rape, murder, drug crimes and road traffic offences.
Still awaiting a decision is the case of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, who was sentenced to a minimum of 27 years in prison for the Lockerbie bombing. A hearing for the Crown's case against the sentence is scheduled to take place in October.
The information was released by the Crown Office, following an appeal by a newspaper under the Freedom of Information Act.