BENJAMIN DILNOT SENTENCED IN YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER: JAIL TIME DOUBLED FOR SEX OFFENSES
Appeal court judges have increased the prison sentence of a North Yorkshire sex offender and instructed him to surrender to authorities.Benjamin Dilnot received a jail term of two years and five months following his conviction for sexually assaulting a woman in November of the previous year.
During the trial at York Crown Court, it was revealed that he had been detained on remand for nearly 500 days, which meant he would soon be released.
The victim testified that she had endured nightmares for years, carries lasting scars from the incident, and has been undergoing counselling.
The Attorney General appealed the sentence, arguing it was insufficient for the nature of the assault, which was described as prolonged and violent during the court proceedings.
A panel of three Court of Appeal judges concurred, escalating the sentence to four years and nine months.
Since Dilnot was not in custody at the time of the appeal, the judges ordered him to surrender to police so he could be re-incarcerated.
This marks his second incarceration for crimes against women, having previously served a two-year sentence for similar offences against another woman before his current sentencing.
After committing these offences, he was acquitted of allegations involving two other women in separate trials.
Currently, Dilnot is under three restraining orders that prohibit him from contacting the victims and approaching their residences, among other restrictions.
He is also registered as a sex offender for a period of ten years.
The 23-year-old resident of Willow Bank, Brayton, admitted to charges including sexual assault, causing actual bodily harm, and witness intimidation, all committed when he was 18.
Prosecutor Andrew Petterson stated that after the assault, Dilnot repeatedly contacted the first woman by phone, trying to persuade her to recant her statement, despite bail restrictions forbidding such contact.
He also threatened to commit suicide, claimed that she had destroyed his life, and said he could not find employment.
Defence lawyer Laura Addy noted that at one point, the first woman was protected under an earlier restraining order, during which Dilnot did not contact her.
