Tougher sentences for robbers using knives and guns

The Sentencing Council has published new tougher sentencing guidelines for robbery offences with a particular focus on heists and home robberies and those involving weapons.

Among the offences to be included are street, home, and commercial robberies - both professionally planned and of a less sophisticated nature.

While the council has not set out to increase sentences, the new guidelines reflect the increases that have occurred over recent years.  The increases have come about as case law has made clear that offences involving knives must focus on deterrence. 

Lord Justice Treacy, chairman of the Sentencing Council, said: 'Through these guidelines, we want to reflect the public's concerns about crime involving guns and knives, so we are emphasising that those robbers who use such weapons to commit offences will face the longest sentences.'

Under the guidelines robbers who use weapons or threaten people with them will get the longest sentences, following public concerns over the use of knives and guns.

The use of any weapon to commit violence or the use of significant force are also factors to consider when deciding sentences.

Sentencers will also be asked to take into account any physical and psychological injuries inflicted on victims, with an offender given tougher sentence where a victim suffers such serious harm.

'Victims can be seriously injured or traumatised, so we want an assessment of the level of harm to the victim to be central to judges' decisions about what sentence an offender should get,' said Treacy.

The guideline will be used in courts in England and Wales from 1 April 2016.