Thug’s sentence was too lenient
A VIOLENT thug who escaped jail after admitting subjecting his former partner to a reign of terror, has been locked up after his sentence was reviewed for being too lenient.
Liam Kingswell, from Fratton, who physically and mentally abused his partner, has been sentenced to an immediate prison term of two years and nine months after the solicitor general, Alex Chalk QC MP,referredhissentencetothe Court of Appeal.
The 25-year-old was in an abusive relationship with his partnerfromJuly2020toJune 2021.
Throughout the relationship the thug behaved in a controlling and abusive manner towards the victim, including breaking her possessions and demanding £3,500 to buy drugs, which caused his victim to get into debt.
On occasions Kingswell would use violence against the victim, which included beatings, throwing objects at her and strangling her.
Therelationshiponlyended whenKingswellwasarrestedin June 2021.
On March 18, Kingswell was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 24 months after admitting criminal damage and controlling and coercive behaviour at Portsmouth Crown Court.
Following the sentencing, the solicitor general referred the original sentence to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient sentence scheme because he believed it was too low.
TheCourtofAppeal,however, found Kingswell’s sentence to be unduly lenient and sentenced him to an immediate prison term of two years and nine months.
SolicitorgeneralAlexChalk QC MP said: ‘Liam Kingswell’s abuseofhispartnerwasshocking.
‘I welcome the decision of theCourtofAppealtosentence him to an immediate prison term.
‘I hope this verdict sends a clear message that those who abuse their partners will feel the full force of the law.’
At the original sentencing, thejudge,RecorderSimonFoster,saidtherewasa‘litanyofassaults’thatmadeita‘yearofhell forher’butoptedforasuspended sentence with community intervention rather than immediate jail despite conceding Kingswell’s‘responsewaspoor’ following a previous community order.
He added: ‘You are lucky.’ A five-year restraining order was slapped on him.