Stuart Hall’s sentence for sex attacks ‘too lenient’, court rules

Disgraced veteran broadcaster Stuart Hall had his 15-month prison sentence for sex offences doubled by Court of Appeal judges today.

Lord chief justice, lord Igor Judge, lady Justice Rafferty and Mrs Justice Macur, sitting in London, ruled that the original 15 months was “inadequate” and should be increased to 30 months.

Hall (83) from Wilmslow, Cheshire, who admitted 14 counts of indecent assault against girls as young as nine between 1967 and 1987, kept his head bowed as he listened to proceedings via video link from HMP Preston and showed no reaction as the decision was announced.

The case was referred to the court by attorney general Dominic Grieve, who argued that Hall's sentence was "unduly lenient" as it failed to adequately reflect the gravity of his offending and the "public concern" about such crimes.

Former It's A Knockout presenter Hall was sentenced to the 15 months at Preston Crown Court last month by the Recorder of Preston, judge Anthony Russell QC.

Lord Judge said Hall "got away with it" for decades and had "lived a lie for more than half of his life". After the announcement, Mr Grieve said: "I asked the court to consider the multiple offending by Stuart Hall over a prolonged period of time which involved numerous victims.

“I also asked that the court take into account the breaches of trust in this case -

Hall carried out some of these offences in places where the victims were entitled to feel safe, he used his celebrity status to invite them to attend the BBC, and he also displayed an element of planning and premeditation.

I am pleased that the court found that 15 months was unduly lenient and have today increased that sentence to 30 months and I hope that this case has highlighted the fact that historical sexual offences are always taken very seriously and show that the law still applies, whoever the offender may be.”

PA