Raymond Ellis was sentenced to five years in prison in May 2022 for an indecent assault he committed over three decades ago.
Officers from South Yorkshire Police’s Major Incident Review Team (MIRT) felt Ellis’ sentence was too light and filed an appeal to have it increased.
“I am pleased the Court of Appeal agreed with our assessment that the sentence originally passed for Ellis’ horrific crime was too lenient,” said Dave Stopford, who heads up the force’s MIRT.
Since she was 17, Ellis’ victim has had to live with what happened to her. She had no idea who her assailant was for more than 30 years.
“We were able to identify Ellis and bring him before the courts earlier this year thanks to advancements in forensic technology, the tenacity of the officers and staff working within the MIRT, and the assistance of specialist scientists.”
We felt strongly, however, that the sentence imposed did not adequately convey the gravity of Ellis’ crime, nor did it feel like justice for the victim. She has had to live with the trauma of sexual assault for three decades, whereas Ellis would be imprisoned for a fraction of that time.”
Following a hearing on Friday (29 July) at the Cour