Hotelier who imprisoned and raped woman sees his sentence increased

A manager of an Oxfordshire Bed and Breakfast has had his sentence for false imprisonment and rape increased following a referral to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Paul Leonard Harris, 36, held the woman against her will for four days at the hotel where he worked in April 2019. During those four days he degraded the victim and filmed her, before raping her.

Harris eventually pled guilty and was convicted of false imprisonment, three counts of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent, and of rape.

On 2 December 2021, he was sentenced to 8 years 9 months’ imprisonment at Oxford Crown Court.

On 3 February, the Court of Appeal found his original sentence to be unduly lenient and increased it to 12 years’ imprisonment.

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

The victim in this case was subjected to a harrowing ordeal, mistreated and abused by Harris. I had no hesitation in referring his sentence to the Court of Appeal as I believed it to be unduly lenient when looking at the seriousness of his crimes in totality. I am glad that today the Court agreed and increased this man’s sentence.