Sex attacker gets shorter jail term than farmer who missold his eggs

JUSTICE campaigners reacted furiously last night after a farmer who sold barn eggs as free-range was jailed for longer than a serial sex offender.

Widower Anthony Clarkson, 59, was sentenced to two and a half years at Preston Crown Court on Monday after egg standard inspectors gave evidence against him.

However, 48 hours later, serial sex offender Kerdine Ahmedi, 46, was jailed for two months less by the same court – despite admitting sexually assaulting a terrified woman in her own bed.

In a victim statement, the unnamed woman – who sobbed when the softer sentence was read out – said the attack had destroyed her life.

Ahmedi was at a party at her house when he got into bed with her uninvited after she went to lie down feeling drunk and unwell.

He attacked her as her drunk boyfriend slept in the kitchen.

The court heard that Ahmedi, who pleaded guilty to sexual assault, had a previous conviction for indecent exposure and had breached a sexual offences prevention order on five occasions after it was made in 2011.

The disparity in the sentences was criticised by solicitor Rachel Horman, a director of the women’s refuge charity SafeNet.

She said: ‘It seems that financial crimes or fraud are treated more seriously than violent crimes against women.

‘This kind of situation sends out the wrong message to perpetrators and victims of violence. Sadly this happens quite a lot.’ Refer- ring to Clarkson’s jail term, she added: ‘I have seen domestic violence cases where, to get that kind of sentence, the perpetrator could have attempted murder.

‘I deal with serious cases of violence against women where the defendant doesn’t get a penalty anywhere near this.’

In contrast with Ahmedi’s attack, Clarkson had claimed ‘free-range’ eggs were from his farm in Whittingham, near Pres- ton, when they were really barn eggs from another of his farms.

Although he had more than 14,000 free-range hens that could produce up to 12,000 eggs a day, at the time of the inspections by the Animal Plant Health Authority (APHA) in 2014 he was only producing half that quantity.

By law, eggs must be stamped with a code showing whether they are free range, barn produced or cage produced. Clarkson was convicted of fraud by dishonestly making a false representation over nine months.

His barrister Michael Maher agreed it was food fraud, but added: ‘It’s not horse meat masquerading as fillet steak.’

APHA said the sentence sent a ‘tough warning’, adding: ‘ Consumers rely on honest marketing to ensure eggs are fresh and safe to eat, and production methods are correctly described.’

The Sentencing Council would not discuss individual cases. But its website says that when sentencing, judges must consider the seriousness of the offence, harm to the victim, the offender’s level of blame, their criminal record, their personal circumstances and whether they pleaded guilty.

‘This happens quite a lot’