Newport man jailed for longer

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

Ricardas Mikuckis, 33, posed as a taxi driver in order to sexually assault his victim.

In the early hours of 30 August 2019, Mikuckis pretended to be a taxi driver and offered his victim a free ride home. Mikuckis, however, drove to an alley and proceeded to assault her. His victim was able to escape the vehicle and raised the alarm with a passing motorist.

Mikuckis was identified and arrested on 10 September 2019. On 7 May 2021, Mikuckis was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment at Cardiff Crown Court.

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

On 7 July the Court found Mikuckis to be a Dangerous Offender and ruled that the sentence was unduly lenient. The Court increased the original sentence to 4 years and 6 months’ imprisonment, followed by 5 years on licence.

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

Mikuckis took advantage of a vulnerable woman, offering safety when in reality he sought only to take advantage. I am glad the Court of Appeal saw fit to increase his sentence and I hope today’s decision offers some comfort to his victim.