Increased sentence for rapist after referral to the Court of Appeal

News story

Increased prison sentence for rapist who repeatedly abused two young girls

A rapist who repeatedly abused two young girls has had his prison sentence increased after the case was referred to the Court of Appeal for being unduly lenient.

Raymond Pelz, now 76, raped and sexually assaulted the two children over a year-long period between 1961 and 1963 when he was 15 years old.

He was found guilty of two rape and two sexual assault offences on 1 June 2022, at Lewes Crown Court. He received a three-year prison sentence and was placed on the sex offender register for the rest of his life.

Following the sentencing the then Solicitor General, Alex Chalk MP, referred Pelz’s case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme because he felt the original sentence was too low.

On 06 September 2022 the Court of Appeal found that Pelz’s sentence was unduly lenient and increased it to 5 years’ imprisonment.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General Edward Timpson CBE QC MP said:

Pelz abused two vulnerable young children and caused incalculable damage to them. The increase in his sentence reflects the harm he inflicted and sends a clear message that sexual violence will be met with an appropriate punishment.

Published 6 September 2022



Alan named Lifetime Achiever at Diverse Cumbria Awards

At the recent Diverse Cumbria Awards, Sellafield Ltd’s Alan Rankin received a lifetime achievement award in recognition of his work in promoting diversity and inclusion, and his additional work in the community.

The Diverse Cumbria Awards were set up to celebrate and award those who strive to make a difference in ‘equality, diversity and inclusion’ within Cumbria.

There are 7 different categories, and the lifetime achievement award is given out to anyone from the shortlists who particularly stood out to the judges.

When I learned that I’d been given the award I was genuinely speechless, which is unusual for me. Never in a million years would I have considered myself getting an award such as this.

Since learning of the award, I’ve reflected about what I think has been important about the work that I’ve done over my career and outside of work, and what the judging panel may have considered.

I’ve worked in human resources for 30 years, with over 20 of these at Sellafield and in whatever role I have done, I’ve always been driven by trying to do the right things, for the right reasons, and supporting, encouraging and empowering all those around me to do the same. 

The work I have been doing for the last 5 or so years specifically on inclusion and diversity at Sellafield have been the most rewarding of my whole career, and while its challenging, massive progress is being made. 

While there is still much more to do, I’m encouraged and driven on by the passionate advocates, colleagues and people I see doing brilliant work every day across our business who are all making a difference.

I’ve volunteered as a school governor for nearly 20 years, with a special interest in safeguarding, mental health and wellbeing, and that has given me a tremendous insight into education as well as huge respect for those in the teaching profession. 

Prior to being a governor, I also volunteered working with 6th form students in the Young Enterprise organisation for 8 years, leading activity in West Cumbria and across the county. This was a great experience working with organisations and business who were supporting students gain skills and knowledge that enable them to develop in the world of work.

The work I’ve done for the last 7 years with Cumbria Police is also really interesting and enables me to make a difference in another area. The work of the Ethics and Integrity Panel and the Independent Assurance Groups that I’m part of, helps improve things, embed learning and provide feedback.

For me, I’m incredibly humbled by this award, and think that it is a recognition that if we all try and do our best, in whatever way we can in our workplace and in our community, to make a positive difference, then we really can deliver change and make an impact, which will matter to someone.

Sadia Samas, co-chair of the Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) network at Sellafield Ltd said:

Alan has been the biggest supporter of the BAME network from day one and he’s a great supporter of all our networks.

I can’t think of a time we have asked Alan for something whether it’s guidance or practical help and he has said no.

Behind the scenes when we’ve had issues that need resolving Alan has always freed up his calendar and listened, approached people on our behalf and made sure we get the right outcome.

Alan is the definition on an ally, and I couldn’t think of anyone more suited of receiving the lifetime award.



Fraud warning from SLC as new academic year approaches

SLC will pay more than £2billion to 2 million students over the coming weeks and is reminding people to be vigilant. As payments make their way to students, the company is warning Freshers and returning students to not be tricked into disclosing personal details or clicking on links in emails or text messages, as they could be installing malware.

In the last three years alone, SLC’s dedicated Customer Compliance teams has stopped £1.2million being lost to fraudsters from students’ bank accounts. The expert teams have a range of methods and fraud analytics to stop scammers in their tracks, but students need to know that they are the best and first line of defence.

Spotting a phishing email or SMS isn’t always easy, but the Student Loans Company has some fraud facts to help:

  • Check the quality of the communication – misspelling, poor punctuation and bad grammar are often tell-tale signs of phishing.
  • Keep an eye out for any emails, phone calls or SMS messages you think are suspicious, especially around the time you’re expecting a payment.
  • Scam emails and text messages are often sent in bulk to many people at the same time and are unlikely to contain both your first and last name. These commonly start – ‘Dear Student’ – so be on guard if you see one like this.
  • ‘Failure to respond in 24 hours will result in your account being closed’ – these types of messages are designed to convey a sense of urgency to prompt a quick response.
  • Think before you click. If you receive an email or SMS that contains a link that you’re not sure of, then hover over it to check that it goes where it’s supposed to. If you’re still in any doubt don’t risk it, always go direct to the source rather than clicking on a potentially dangerous link.
  • Scammers can use a variety of methods to try get students to pay money or share their personal details, including the use of fraudulent phone calls, social posts and direct messaging on digital platforms. If you are suspicious of being contacted, always use official phone numbers, your online account and official communication channels to verify the contact you received is genuine.
  • Students should also be mindful of the information that they share about themselves on social media, and elsewhere online, to help guard against identity theft. Identity theft happens when fraudsters access enough information about a person’s identity, such as their name, date of birth, customer reference number, course information or their current or previous addresses to impersonate them online and over the phone.
  • Check out our guide to identifying a phishing scam at www.gov.uk/guidance/phishing-scams-how-you-can-avoid-them

Bernice McNaught, Executive Director, Repayments and Customer Compliance at the Student Loans Company, said:

“It’s no surprise that at this time of year students, especially Freshers, have a lot on their minds – getting to grips with classes and campuses, making new friends or exploring new surroundings.

“With so many things taking attention, it’s easy for students to drop their guard when it comes to mindfulness over online scams and fraudulent phishing.  Unfortunately, digital scams, phishing and identity theft have become an everyday part of modern life, and scammers are all too aware that the three student finance payment periods in September, January and April each year are a prime time for them to try to trick students.

“Keeping money in students’ pockets is a high priority for SLC.  Our Counter Fraud teams work to keep on top of the constantly evolving digital scams, to support students who may be in danger of losing their funds to fraudsters. The first line of defence against fraudsters is always students themselves.  They can keep their account safe by following our simple tips.”

Customers in England should be aware that whenever their bank details are changed, they will receive an SMS from Student Finance England (SFE) to confirm the change. If a customer hasn’t changed their details but receives a message, they should log into their online account to review their information and also get in contact using an official telephone number as they could be the victim of identity theft and future payments may be blocked if they don’t.

There is also a range of additional advice and information on recognising and avoiding scams from Take Five, a national campaign aimed at stopping fraud: Take Five – To Stop Fraud



Russell Agius has been appointed as a member of the Judicial Pension Board

News story

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Russell Agius as a member of the Judicial Pension Board.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Russell Agius as a Member of the Judicial Pension Board for 3 years from 5 September 2022.

Russell Agius has been advising on pension schemes for over 28 years. He is a Partner at Aon. He spends most of his time advising trustees but also has various corporate appointments. He has carried out secondments with the Department for Work and Pensions, the Pension Protection Fund and the Pensions Regulator.

The Judicial Pension Board (JPB) is responsible for helping the Lord Chancellor to manage and govern the Judicial Pension Schemes.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments regulates the appointment of JPB Members and recruitment processes comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Published 6 September 2022



Russell Agius has been appointed as a member of the Judicial Pension Board

News story

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Russell Agius as a member of the Judicial Pension Board.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Russell Agius as a Member of the Judicial Pension Board for 3 years from 5 September 2022.

Russell Agius has been advising on pension schemes for over 28 years. He is a Partner at Aon. He spends most of his time advising trustees but also has various corporate appointments. He has carried out secondments with the Department for Work and Pensions, the Pension Protection Fund and the Pensions Regulator.

The Judicial Pension Board (JPB) is responsible for helping the Lord Chancellor to manage and govern the Judicial Pension Schemes.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments regulates the appointment of JPB Members and recruitment processes comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Published 6 September 2022