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England and Wales Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) Decisions |
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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> England and Wales Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) Decisions >> MacDonald, R v [2008] EWCA Crim 707 (5 March 2008) URL: http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2008/707.html Cite as: [2008] EWCA Crim 707, [2008] 2 Cr App R (S) 100, [2008] 2 Cr App Rep (S) 100 |
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CRIMINAL DIVISION
Strand London, WC2A 2LL |
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B e f o r e :
MR JUSTICE PENRY-DAVEY
SIR CHRISTOPHER HOLLAND
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R E G I N A | ||
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JAMES MACDONALD |
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"You have now exacted revenge upon a decent member of the public who you called as a witness in a criminal trial. Intimidation and revenge on those who give evidence is a very serious offence. As I am sure you appreciate, it strikes at the very heart of our criminal justice system. Why? Because responsible law-abiding members of society are required, often, to do their public duty as a witness and give evidence. If they are prevented from doing that vital duty because they live in a climate of fear that some brutal thug is going to come and get them either if they give evidence or in order to prevent them giving evidence, our entire system of Criminal Justice crumbles into nothing."
He then said:
"Taking into account your plea, and I give you full credit for that, and taking into account your antecedent history, which is dreadful, consistent with my duty to the public, and in order to impose a deterrent sentence to deter others from assaulting those that have testified against them, or intimidating them, the least sentence I impose upon you is one of four years' imprisonment."