SENTENCING STATEMENTS
A judge may decide to publish a statement after passing sentence on an offender in cases where there is particular public interest; where a case has legal significance; or where providing the reasons for the decision might assist public understanding.
Please note that statements may include graphic details of offences when it is necessary to fully explain the reasons behind a sentencing decision.
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Once charges are spent, any statement in relation to them is removed and cannot be provided or acknowledged. Statements published before the launch of the website may be available on request. Please email judicialcomms@scotcourts.gov.uk.
The independence of the judiciary is essential to safeguard people’s rights under law - enabling judges to make decisions impartially based solely on evidence and law, without interference or influence from the government or politicians.
When deciding a sentence, a judge must deal with the offence that the offender has been convicted of, taking into account the unique circumstances of each particular case. The judge will carefully consider the facts that are presented to the Court by both the prosecution and by the defence.
For more information about how judges decide sentences; what sentences are available; and matters such as temporary release, see the independent Scottish Sentencing Council website.
Read more about victims of crime and sentencing.
HMA v Stephen Coffey
Dec 17, 2020
On sentencing, Lord Uist made the following statement in court:
“You have been convicted by the jury of two charges of rape against the same woman, one in July 2017 in Inverness when she was asleep, and one in January 2019 in Kiltarlity when you used force.
You are now 31 years old. You have a disgraceful criminal record dating from December 2005. It consists of 35 court appearances, and, by my calculation, 56 separate offences and 18 separate custodial sentences. You have 6 convictions for assault and one for hamesucken, which means assaulting someone in their own home, for which you received a sentence of 12 months imprisonment. You have breached bail orders on numerous occasions.
The sentence which I impose on both charges taken together is 7 years 6 months imprisonment, of which 6 months is attributable to the aggravations. Your sentence will run from 16 January 2019.
As a result of that sentence you now become subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for an indefinite period.”
17 December 2020