27 Feb 2013
Indeterminate sentence was not justified on the evidence of risk and psychiatric opinion; the sentencing judge's individual starting points required adjustment and the aggregate sentence breached the totality principle so the appropriate total sentence is 18 years, with specified re‑structuring of concurrent and consecutive elements and preservation of the sentence for the minor indecency count.
18 Feb 2005
The court must determine a minimum term reflecting the gravity of the two rape offences and purposes of retribution and deterrence by adopting an appropriate starting point (assessed as 12 years per rape count if sentenced today), applying credit for guilty plea and accounting for possible statutory remission; having considered original sentencing remarks, contemporary sentencing standards and the respondent's progress and risk assessments, the court set the minimum term to be served for the two rape counts at 14 years.
19 May 1999
The Court held the summing up was correct and not misleading: the jury was properly instructed that adverse inferences require the only reasonable inference; a lengthy lies direction was justified because the applicant admitted deliberate lies and there was evidence of material lies; medical evidence could corroborate the complainant's account of sexual assault; the convictions were safe and the total sentence of 16 years was appropriate given aggravating factors and the absence of grounds for an indeterminate sentence.
15 Jan 1987
The Court refused leave to appeal: the trial judge's findings about the gravity, multiplicity and brutality of the offences and the likelihood of repetition justified the fixed and indeterminate sentences; while medical evidence is normally desirable it is not a prerequisite and the judge was entitled, on the totality of evidence and his observations, to impose life sentences and the terms imposed were not excessive.