Domestic abuser jailed after sentence appeal

DOMESTIC ABUSER JAILED AFTER SENTENCE APPEAL

A violent domestic abuser named Joshua Dalgarno, aged 25, has been sentenced to three years in prison after the solicitor general successfully challenged his previous lenient sentence.

Dalgarno was charged last year with controlling and coercive behaviour towards his former partner, taking a conveyance without permission, and causing criminal damage.

Initially, he received a 24-month community order at Taunton crown court in December.

However, the solicitor general, Michael Ellis QC, personally argued that this sentence was too lenient, emphasizing the need for a suitable punishment for such serious domestic abuse.

The court of appeal agreed and increased Dalgarno’s sentence to three years imprisonment, instructing him to surrender himself into custody.

This case is notable because it is the first to be covered under the expanded unduly lenient sentence scheme, which allows the public or victims to request the attorney general to review sentences they believe are too light.

Dalgarno's conduct included violent assaults on his pregnant former partner, such as stabbing her in the leg with a penknife and smashing her head against a windscreen, during which he also accused her of unfaithfulness, controlled her communication, and isolated her from her family.

He also had a history of abuse towards previous partners.

The case has sparked ongoing debate about prison overcrowding and sentencing policy, with the government pushing for more prison capacity and critics calling such measures populist.

The solicitor general highlighted that punishment is an essential part of justice, especially for crimes of domestic violence, and commended the court of appeal for correctly increasing the sentence.