London drug dealers’ sentences increased by the Court of Appeal

Two West London drug dealers have had their sentences increased after they were referred to the Court of Appeal by the Solicitor General, Alex Chalk QC MP.

Matthew Wraight, 37, and Mark Bannister, 47, were involved in a conspiracy to supply cocaine within the UK between April and June 2020. They sold and distributed around 120 kilograms of cocaine, with each kilogram earning them between £35,750 and £40,000.

They were each convicted of 1 count of conspiracy to supply a Class A drug. On 30 September 2021, Wraight was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment at Isleworth Crown Court, with Bannister receiving a sentence of 9 years.

Following the sentence, the Solicitor General referred their sentences to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

On 14 December 2021, in a joint hearing at the Court of Appeal, their sentences were each found to be unduly lenient. Wraight’s sentence was increased to 16 years and 6 months’ imprisonment, while Bannister’s was increased to 12 years and 9 months.

Speaking after the joint hearing, the Solicitor General, Alex Chalk QC MP said:

Easy access to illegal drugs is destroying lives across the country, cynically driven by criminals such as Wraight and Bannister. I referred their sentences to the Court of Appeal because I felt them to be too low, and I am glad that the sentences have now been increased.