BENJAMIN DILNOT SENTENCED IN YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER: JAIL TIME DOUBLED FOR SEX OFFENSES

Judges at the Court of Appeal have taken a stern stance against Benjamin Dilnot, a known sex offender from Yorkshire and The Humber, by doubling his prison sentence and issuing a direct order for him to surrender to police authorities.

Initially, Dilnot was sentenced to two years and five months in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in November of the previous year. The case was heard at York Crown Court, where it was revealed that he had already spent nearly 500 days in remand custody. This significant period on remand meant that, under normal circumstances, he was expected to be released soon.

The victim, a woman who endured the assault, provided emotional testimony during the trial. She described suffering from nightmares that have persisted for years and stated that she would carry the physical and emotional scars of the attack for the rest of her life. She also disclosed that she has been receiving counseling to cope with the trauma caused by Dilnot’s actions.

The Attorney General, concerned that the original sentence was insufficient given the severity and violence of the assault, referred the case to the Court of Appeal. The court, comprising three judges, reviewed the circumstances and agreed that the sentence was too lenient. They determined that a more appropriate punishment would be four years and nine months in prison.

Since Dilnot was not in custody at the time of the appeal hearing, the judges ordered him to surrender himself to the police immediately so that he could be returned to prison to serve the increased sentence. This marks a significant development in his case, emphasizing the judiciary’s stance on such serious offenses.

It is noteworthy that this is not Dilnot’s first encounter with the criminal justice system for offenses against women. Prior to his current sentencing, he had served a two-year prison term for crimes committed against a different woman.

Following the recent assault, Dilnot was acquitted of allegations involving two other women at separate trials, despite facing multiple charges. Currently, he is subject to three restraining orders that prohibit him from contacting the woman he assaulted, as well as the two women he was acquitted of offending against. These orders also restrict him from approaching their residences and impose other conditions aimed at protecting the victims. Additionally, Dilnot will be registered as a sex offender for the next ten years.

Now 23 years old and residing at Willow Bank, Brayton, Dilnot pleaded guilty to several charges, including the sexual assault of the first woman, causing her actual bodily harm, and witness intimidation—all of which occurred when he was 18.

Prosecutor Andrew Petterson highlighted that after the assault, Dilnot attempted to coerce the woman into withdrawing her statement by repeatedly calling her, despite being under bail conditions that forbade such contact. He also claimed that Dilnot threatened to kill himself, expressed that she had ruined his life, and claimed he would never find employment.

Defense lawyer Laura Addy pointed out that there was a period when Dilnot had not contacted the woman, during which she was protected under an earlier restraining order. The case underscores the ongoing concerns about his behavior and the measures taken to prevent further harm to the victims involved.