A man who sexually assaulted three women has had his sentence increased under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

His original sentence was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Attorney General’s Office because it appeared to be too low.

Ali Husseini, 27, sexually assaulted three women, in separate attacks while they were walking along a pedestrian underpass in Poplar, London.

The first attack took place on 10 August 2020. Husseini followed the victim as she returned home from the market, he held her by the neck and sexually assaulted her.

On 3 September 2020, Husseini followed a female as she walked home from work. Husseini pushed her to the wall, held her by the neck and began touching her. The victim began screaming which caused Husseini to let her go and she ran away.

The following day, Husseini attacked a pregnant woman on her way to work, slapping her from behind. The victim screamed and the offender ran away.

On 6 August 2021, Husseini was convicted of sexual assault by penetration, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault at the Central Criminal Court and was sentenced to 6 years and 9 months’ imprisonment.

On 13 October the Court of Appeal found his original sentence to be unduly lenient and increased it to 9 years imprisonment.

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

Husseini subjected his victims to a terrifying ordeal and his actions will have a lasting impact. Women should be able to walk the streets safety without fear of being attacked. I hope the increased sentence offers some reassurance to the victims, and all women, that people who commit appalling crimes of this nature can expect to go to prison for a very long time.

The first phase of industry engagement on new passenger service contracts (PSCs) will begin on 4 November 2021, bringing government and stakeholders together to ensure a joint focus on a more passenger-focused railway for the future.

PSCs will be introduced as a key tool in rail reforms, establishing a new way of working between the public and private sector to provide high-quality, punctual and reliable passenger services.

They will encourage greater private sector involvement, offering new market entrants and existing operators the chance to showcase innovation and expertise and work collaboratively with the new public body, Great British Railways (GBR), to deliver the reforms proposed in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail.

The upcoming engagement exercise will provide potential bidders with the opportunity to learn more about the future commercial model, raise questions and have their say in the development of the contracts.

The Department for Transport is working not only to maintain successful partnerships with existing passenger service operators, but also to encourage new entrants to the rail market, including those from other transport sectors and those from outside the UK to bring in fresh ideas, investment and innovation from outside the rail network.

Chris Heaton-Harris Rail Minister said:

Our Plan for Rail will deliver the most significant reforms to our railways in a generation. Unlocking the expertise, investment and ingenuity of the private sector – including new and ambitious market entrants – is vital to delivering the reforms that put passengers first.

I encourage all those interested in playing a central role in the future of Britain’s railways to engage with this process, helping build a railway that is fit for the future.

Under Great British Railways, the railway will be organised in a new way, fixing the fragmentation, confusion and overcomplexity of the past. It will provide simple, sustainable and accountable leadership – one body to maintain and improve the infrastructure, foster innovation, build trust in the system and attract more passengers back to the network.

• Plans to simplify how people access online government services set out today
• New app for gov.uk will also allow people to securely access services
• Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster outlines vision for digital government at global tech event

Plans to make it easier for the public to access online government services via an app have been set out today by Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay.

The plans mean that the public will no longer have to remember multiple usernames and passwords to access services such as free school meals, support for disabled family members and changing driver licence details in the future.

The new app will allow people to access services much more easily, instead of having to go through multiple online processes. It will give users the option to use the technology in their smartphones to quickly access government services online via GOV.UK.

Currently, there are 191 different ways for people to set up a variety of accounts to access different services on GOV.UK, with 44 different sign-in methods.

This is in stark contrast to the private sector, where people expect to be able to log into and access a variety of different services via their smartphone.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay:

Now more than ever, it is important that government responds to people’s heightened expectations about the services they use.

During the pandemic, people have had to interact with public services in a variety of new ways, including the NHS app and the vaccine booking service.

People rightly expect government to be data driven and digitally literate, and this will be a priority for me in my new role.

As part of the development of the app, the Government Digital Service (GDS) is working across all government departments to make sure as many services as possible can be utilised.

The app is being developed with data security at its heart, with robust data protection principles in place to make sure users remain in control of their data.

Use of the app will be optional, with people still able to access government services in different ways if they prefer.

Mr Barclay also announced the members of the new Digital Advisory Board, which has been created to give advice to ministers and officials across government and accelerate digital change.

Members of the board are leaders from industry, drawn from organisations such as E.ON, the Lloyds Banking Group and HSBC.

Notes to editors:

Members of the Digital Advisory Board due to be announced by the Minister are:

• James Bilefield – Chair/Board Director (SThree, MoneySupermarket, Stagecoach, Teach First, Science Museum)
• Zaka Mian – Former Group Transformation Director, Lloyds Banking Group
• Monique Shivanandan – Chief Information Security Officer, HSBC
• Matthew Timms – Chief Digital and Information Officer, E.ON SE