A man who beat another unconscious and then stole from him has been jailed after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred his case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
Craig Scarpellini, now 26, was walking through Christchurch when he came across his victim, who was drunk, and offered him cannabis if he came to Scarpellini’s flat. When they reached the block of flats, another man emerged with his face covered, and the victim attempted to run. Scarpellini punched him to the side of the head, and the pair proceeded to continue punching until he fell unconscious.
When the victim came to, he discovered that his phone and wallet were missing. He suffered minor injuries to most of his body, as well as experiencing nausea and pain in his temple. His left thumb was fractured. When questioned, Scarpellini claimed to have acted in self-defence after the victim had gone ‘beserk’.
Scarpellini’s original hearing was at Bournemouth Crown Court in July, where his sentencing was deferred until November 2018.
Today, after the Solicitor General’s referral, the Court of Appeal sentenced him to 4 years immediate custody.
Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General said:
“Scarpellini launched an unprovoked attack against his victim, and I am pleased that the Court of Appeal has today agreed that the risk he poses to the public warrants immediate custody.”
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