Swindon man sees rape sentence cut by five years

SWINDON MAN SEES RAPE SENTENCE CUT BY FIVE YEARS

A man who was sentenced to 12 years in prison after confessing to raping a woman 17 years ago has had his sentence reduced by five years.

Neil Hunt, aged 43 and residing on Tulip Tree Close in Swindon, was originally sentenced at Winchester Crown Court in July for the 1990 rape.

He pleaded guilty to raping a 44-year-old woman when he was 26.

The Court of Appeal in London permitted his challenge to the length of his sentence.

Hunt was not present during the court ruling by Lord Justice Hughes, Mr Justice Ouseley, and Mr Justice Blake.

The court heard that Hunt drove past the woman as she walked alone on the B3084 country lane between Over Wallop and Grateley in Hampshire, on her way to meet her boyfriend in a pub on a Saturday night.

Hunt grabbed her from behind, put his arm around her neck, choking her and pulling her to the ground, where he raped her.

In January 2007, Hunt was arrested in connection with an unrelated offence and provided a DNA sample which matched the samples taken from the rape victim.

Judge Patrick Hootton, during the original sentencing, stated: "You dragged this lady off the road, you imposed considerable force, you subjected her to violence, you subjected her to a degrading process." The judges in the Court of Appeal considered that the appropriate sentence, following a contested case, would have been around 10 years, considering factors such as the abduction by a stranger, violence, humiliation, degradation, and the significant long-term psychological impact on the victim.