Two men found guilty of robbing two 15 year old boys at knifepoint have had their sentences increased after they were deemed unduly lenient.
Carl Wood (21) and Scott Taylor (20) were in Chalkwell Park in Leigh-on-Sea when they approached a group of 5 or 6 people. Wood then brandished a knife at two boys in the group while instructing others to take a number of personal items, including an iWatch and a mountain bike.
Wood then told the two teenagers to stand up against the wall, and took a photo of them on a mobile phone, telling them not to go to police as he knew what they looked like.
On 12 April at Basildon Crown Court, Carl Wood was sent to prison for 2 years. Taylor received an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for 2 years.
The Court of Appeal today ruled that Taylor's sentence should be increased to 2 years 5 months in a young offender's institute, while Wood's sentence was increased to 3 years and 9 months.
After the hearing, the Solicitor General, Lucy Frazer QC MP, said:
"These criminals threatened serious violence with a knife and took steps to prevent victims from contacting the police. The Court's decision to increase the sentences sends a clear message that the criminal justice system takes knife crime very seriously."
