Brandon Smith (25) from Denton in Greater Manchester, had his sentence increased by four and a half years after his case was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The court heard that Smith did not know his victim, but he had been watching her for six months and identified her route to work.

In the morning of 5 July 2024, Smith grabbed the victim on her morning commute and threatened to stab her if she made a noise. He then dragged her behind some bushes and raped her.

After the assault, Smith threatened to kill the victim’s mother if she said anything about his attack.

Smith denied his guilt throughout the trial, initially claiming he had never met his victim. Then, when forensic evidence made it clear that he had been in contact with the woman, he

See Full Page