By Eric King
A man who broke into the home of his ex-girlfriend and threatened her with a knife will spend longer in prison after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal for being too low.
31 year old Matthew White, carried out an extensive campaign of harassment and threats against his ex-partner following their breakup in 2017. This culminated in White breaking into her home and brandishing a knife at her and her three children. Her attempts to flee where blocked after White restrained her and made attempts to stab her, as well as punching her in the face multiple times. He also made threats against her family.
White was originally sentenced at Hull Crown Court in May, where he was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment with an extended licence period of 3 years and a restraining order. Today, after the Solicitor General’s referral, the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to 9 years imprisonment with an extended licence period of 5 years. The grounds of the extended sentence is not clear, and the original judge’s decision in jailing him for 6 years cannot really be said to have been poor on the face of the offence and the sentence given. However, because domestic violence is a serious offence, there can be no real complaints for an increase in sentencing to send home the message that it will such offences will not be tolerated.
Commenting on the sentence increase, the Solicitor General said:
“Not only did White’s actions directly impact his victim, but we can also only begin to imagine the long-terms effects this is likely to have on the children who experienced this terrible ordeal. It is only right that White should serve a longer sentence.”
Men who harass their partners during or after a relationship are bullies who deserve to live in jail, not in a free society. White is obviously a dangerous man for having no regard for his former partner or for the psychological effects his violent conduct could have on her three children. The higher sentence will now form a basis for similarly high sentences for violent men who behave in this unacceptable manner.