Hampshire man’s sentence doubled

A Hampshire man has had his jail sentence doubled following an intervention by the Solicitor General, Rt Hon Lucy Frazer QC MP.

Nico Alexander, 26, was charged with robbery and aggravated burglary for two offences taking place in March 2019 and May 2020.

On 2 March 2019, a female accomplice lured a man in his twenties (who was unknown to the offender) to a flat. Alexander, alongside Ricki Tribble and a third male accomplice, viciously attacked the man, stealing his phone and demanding money. Alexander forced the victim to go to a nearby ATM machine to withdraw £50. The victim suffered a fractured jaw, requiring surgery involving the fitting of a metal plate, and suffered damage to his front teeth, requiring extensive dental work.

On 2 May 2020, Alexander, Louie Comley and Daniel Watson broke into the home of a former partner of Comley. They smashed the windows and entered the home armed with knives and baseball bats. The occupants of the house, including several children, took shelter in the bedrooms as Alexander, Comley and Watson searched the home for their intended victim, who had escaped the home. On leaving the house, Alexander and his associates stole £200 in cash, and damaged their victims’ phones.

Alexander was convicted of robbery and aggravated burglary and on 31 March 2021, he was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months’ imprisonment at Portsmouth Crown Court.

Following the Court’s decision, the Solicitor General referred Alexander’s sentence to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

On 11 June 2021, the Court ruled that the sentence was unduly lenient and increased it to 10 years’ imprisonment.

After the hearing at the Court of Appeal the Solicitor General, Rt Hon Lucy Frazer QC MP, said:

Alexander subjected several entirely innocent people to terrible acts of violence. I am glad that the Court of Appeal saw fit to increase this dangerous criminal’s sentence. I hope the Court’s decision can offer some comfort to the victims.