ROMEO CUMMINS SENTENCE IN BASINGSTOKE EXTENDED TO LIFE FOLLOWING COURT OF APPEAL RULING

A man convicted of filming himself assaulting unconscious women has received an extended prison sentence after a Court of Appeal deemed his original punishment unduly lenient. Romeo Cummins, 44, from Basingstoke, Hampshire, was initially sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison and would have been eligible for parole after serving half of that term. He admitted to 16 counts of rape, sexual assault, and five drug offences. The Court of Appeal increased his sentence to life imprisonment with a minimum term of nine years, and it now has no automatic right to release.

Police found that Cummins had more than 100 videos on his phone of him attacking women who were unconscious. He was arrested in Aldershot in February for possessing crack cocaine, heroin, and sleeping tablets. When authorities examined his phone, they discovered videos of the sexual offences, which occurred over the past three years.

Solicitor General Robert Buckland QC MP appealed the original sentence, stating that it failed to adequately reflect the number of victims, the volume of offenses, and the duration over which the crimes were committed. He explained, "The original sentence failed to reflect the number of victims; the number of rapes and the period of time over which the offending occurred. These were particularly vulnerable women who now have to live with the lasting psychological consequences of his actions."

A Hampshire Constabulary spokesperson commented, "It was clear from the footage that the women might not have known they had been sexually assaulted."

Detective Sergeant Lisa Cronin expressed satisfaction with the new sentence, stating, "We are very pleased with the sentence delivered today. It is an accurate reflection of the nature of Cummins' offending and the impact it has had on his victims."