Suffolk Knifepoint Rapist Gets His Sentence Doubled

SUFFOLK KNIFEPOINT RAPIST GETS HIS SENTENCE DOUBLED

A knifeman who raped a woman in a Norfolk holiday home has had his jail term doubled by the Court of Appeal.

Douglas Sandford, 35, of The Blundens, Stoke by Nayland, Suffolk, attacked the woman in a cottage and kept her there for 24 hours after attacking her.

He was jailed for four and a half years at Norwich Crown Court in November 2011 after pleading guilty to rape.

The Appeal Court ruled the sentence was too short and increased it to eight years.

The court was told that the victim only managed to escape by throwing herself out of a first floor window and was seriously injured.

Sandford, who made off on a stolen motorbike afterwards, had also admitted taking a conveyance without authority and driving whilst disqualified.

However, that sentence was regarded by the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve QC, as "unduly lenient", and he referred it to the Appeal Court.

Sandford's lawyers, asking for his sentence to remain unaltered, argued he had "taken stock of himself" since being jailed, and was a much changed man.

But, increasing the sentence, Lord Justice Pitchford said: "The victim was attacked in her own home at night.

He used a knife for threatening, intimidating and subduing the victim.

She was in essence held in her own home for 24 hours.

Such was her desperation that she had to escape from a first floor window, causing herself injury.

The offender had previous convictions for violence against women."