Two offenders who left victims needing hospital treatment have both been given longer prison terms after their cases were heard together at the Court of Appeal following referrals under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
On 14 November 2021, Zachary Jagger, now 27, got involved in a group altercation after being refused entry to a party at a private residence. Following the fight, he left the scene before returning with the other offender Charlie Hearn, now 29, and the two got involved in another group fight.
While driving back to the group fight, Hearn and Jagger met two victims who had been on their way home after an evening out. These two victims were not involved with the party or the group fight. Hearn threatened one victim with a Stanley knife and slashed another on the back with the blade, causing a 23 cm laceration which required stitches. Jagger and Hearn then returned to the scene of the group fight, during which Jagger got back into his car and intentionally drove at the group twice.
Jagger then deliberately drove into another victim twice, who Hearn attacked with the Stanley knife. The victim was left with a double leg fracture and a laceration to her face.
In a separate incident in 2019 Jagger attacked a victim, inflicting a wound that required 30 stitches. Hearn was not present on this occasion.
On 10 August 2022, Jagger was sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment with an extended licence of 4 years at Chelmsford Crown Court for offences including wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm, affray and dangerous driving. Hearn was sentenced on the same day at Chelmsford Crown Court to 4 years’ imprisonment for offences including unlawful wounding, threatening another with a blade and affray.
Both of the offenders’ sentences were referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme for being too low.
On 03 November 2022, the Court found both sentences to be unduly lenient. Jagger’s sentence was increased to 13 years’ imprisonment with an extended licence of 3 years, while Hearn was ordered to serve a sentence of 6 years’ imprisonment with a 3-year extended licence.
Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson MP said:
These were intensely vicious attacks that left the victims with serious wounds, with some needing hospital treatment. I did not believe that the original sentences adequately reflected the violent nature of the offending that occurred, so I welcome the decision of the Court of Appeal to sentence both Jagger and Hearn to longer sentences.
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