Newcastle teen rapist jailed for longer
A teenager who raped and sexually assaulted two children has sentence increased
A teenager who carried out a series of sexual assaults on two young children will spend more time behind bars, after the then Solicitor General, the Rt Hon Michael Ellis QC MP, referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal as unduly lenient.
Ronnie Ferguson, 19, was aged between 14 and 17 years when he raped and sexually assaulted his young victims. The offences escalated in their gravity overtime. In December 2019 one of the victims revealed the offending behaviour to their mother, who then reported it to the police.
After being convicted of seventeen sexual offences including rape and sexual assault of a child under 13, Ferguson was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months’ detention in a young offender’s institution on 27 January at Newcastle Crown Court. He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for a period of 10 years.
The case was heard at the Court of Appeal on 26 March. On 23 April the Court found his original sentence to be unduly lenient and increased his sentence to 4 years and 4 months’ detention in a young offender’s institution.
Speaking after the hearing, the now Attorney General, the Rt Hon Michael Ellis QC MP said:
Ferguson committed a series of unforgivable crimes against his young victims, robbing them of their innocence. The original sentence failed to take proper account of the seriousness and multiplicity of these offences committed over a number of years. I am pleased the Court has now seen fit to increase his sentence.