Robbers who held knife to woman's throat to spend longer in jail
Two armed robbers who terrorised a woman in her own home by putting knives to her throat are to serve longer inside after their original prison sentence was deemed too lenient. Haydn Williams and Ryan Cook burst into the woman's home in Bodmin during an attack in September 2022 and threatened the occupant and a female friend, leaving them both terrified. One of the women in the house received a knife wound to her finger as she fought back.
Homeless Williams and Cook appeared at Truro Crown Court on February 21, 2023. to be sentenced for the aggravated burglary. Both men also pleaded guilty to possession of knives on previous occasions. Prosecuting the case, Felicity Payne said the victim was at home with her friend.
She heard a knock on the door and opened it to Williams, who she knew. He had previously told her he did not have enough money for food so she had kindly told him she would get a few cans of food together for him. Ms Payne told the court at the time how there were brief pleasantries before the victim picked up the bag of food placed by the door. Unknown to her Cook was hiding nearby and the two men then forced their way into her home.
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They pushed her back into the hallway, pinned her to the wall and at least one knife was held to her throat. Cook made demands for money and neighbours could hear her screaming. Her friend then appeared in the hallway and grabbed the knife by the blade and pulled it away from the victim's face, sustaining a cut in the process. This brave act allowed the primary victim to push the knife away and headbutt Williams as she screamed.
Ms Payne said: "The two women fighting back and the door being opened spooked the defendants." The main victim then punched Cook "before both men fled with knives still in hand". Cook and Williams were eventually arrested. After pleading guilty they were sentenced to six years and a month and five years and six months respectively.
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However it can now be revealed that the pair will serve longer prison sentences after an appeal was made to the Attorney General's Office under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme. Anyone can make such an appeal if they think a prison sentence is not harsh enough.
Outcomes of unduly lenient sentence referrals (appeals have to be made within 28 days a sentence being passed) are published every week by the Attorney General's Office. The result comes in the shape of a spreadsheet with the initials of the offenders, the court which passed the sentence along with the date of the sentencing, what the offence was and the outcome of the decision.
The appeal was successful meaning Cook and Williams' sentenced have now been revised up. They will now serve eight years and seven months' imprisonment and eight years and one month imprisonment respectively.
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