R v Simon Coombes (aka Simon Tharme)
[2024] EWCA Crim 188
R v Paul Michael Reed
28 August 2024
[2024] EWCA Crim 1222
Court of Appeal
A person tried to appeal their conviction and sentence but failed. The court found their reasons for appealing were weak and that they were trying to manipulate the legal process. As a punishment, the court reduced their prison sentence by 28 days.
Key Facts
- •Applicant applied for an extension of time to appeal conviction and sentence.
- •Single judge refused the applications.
- •Applicant sought to call Dr. King as an expert witness (psychiatric report from 2012).
- •Applicant sought further cross-examination of the first complainant.
- •Applicant questioned the 14-month delay in charging.
- •Applicant challenged the Sexual Harm Prevention Order's amendment.
- •The applicant's conduct throughout the proceedings was described as manipulative.
Legal Principles
Admissibility of evidence
Court of Appeal Criminal Division
Standard of review for appeals against conviction and sentence
Court of Appeal Criminal Division
Principles of fairness and justice in criminal appeals
Court of Appeal Criminal Division
Outcomes
Applications for extension of time to appeal conviction and sentence were refused.
Appeals had no realistic prospect of success; proposed grounds were deemed impermissible or irrelevant.
Loss of time order made.
Applications were deemed hopeless, a waste of court resources, and further examples of manipulative conduct.