FORMER BASINGSTOKE GYMNAST ALEXANDER HICKEN'S SENTENCE CHALLENGED BY ATTORNEY GENERAL

A former Team GB gymnast from Basingstoke, Alexander Hicken, has had his suspended sentence for sexually assaulting a drunken woman referred to the Attorney General for review as being 'unduly lenient.' Hicken, of Loggon Road in Cranbourne, was convicted in August at Winchester Crown Court, where it was revealed that he abused a vulnerable woman after boasting to friends, 'I’m going to **** her.' The 23-year-old, who previously served as a coach at Basingstoke Gymnastic Club, targeted his intoxicated victim after she was put to bed at a party due to her drunkenness.

During the trial, it was detailed that Hicken, a tumbling coach who was in a relationship at the time, ignored the woman’s pleas to stop during the eight-hour assault, repeatedly touching her inappropriately. In October, he received a suspended prison sentence of 21 months, allowing him to walk free from court.

Following this, the Attorney General has been asked to review the sentence, citing concerns that it was 'unduly lenient.' Under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme (ULS), members of the public can request the Attorney General’s office to scrutinize sentences handed down by crown courts in England and Wales within 28 days of sentencing. The Attorney General then has the authority to refer cases involving certain offences, believed to be insufficiently punitive, to the Court of Appeal.

The government’s website states that the Attorney General must 'consider the case personally and decide whether a particular sentence is unduly lenient.' The office confirmed that it has received a referral for Hicken’s sentence and has until 28 days from receipt to make a decision.

Hicken was also a junior representative for Team GB at the 2012 Loule Gymnastics World Cup in Portugal. At the time of the assault, he was 21 years old and was spared immediate imprisonment as the judge noted his age was a relevant factor.

During court proceedings, the victim described how Hicken 'abused me, my body and my trust,' and detailed the lifelong impact of the assault, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. In her statement read aloud in court, she expressed, 'I can say with all certainty this assault has changed my life 100 percent.' She added, 'I blame myself constantly for what happened... since this occasion I will never drink to excess, I don't like the idea of not being in control.' She also shared that she experiences nightmares, often waking up to check if Hicken is present, saying, 'Since this happened I have nightmares where I think Alex is sitting at the end of my bed. I often find myself looking around my room to check he isn’t there.'