R v Christopher Anjad Gifari
[2024] EWCA Crim 1419
R v Romain Lapierre
1 December 2023
[2023] EWCA Crim 1543
Court of Appeal
A young man was given a life sentence for a brutal murder committed as revenge. He also received a sentence for a robbery that happened just before the murder. His lawyers argued the sentence was too harsh, but the appeal court disagreed, saying the judge fairly considered all the facts and the sentence was justified given the extreme violence of the crime and his criminal history.
Key Facts
- •Romain Lapierre was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 28 years for murder and a concurrent 9-year sentence for robbery.
- •The robbery involved threatening a taxi driver with a knife and stealing his car.
- •The murder involved a pre-planned attack on a 16-year-old victim, Cameron Smith, in his home, resulting in a fatal stab wound.
- •The attack was carried out by a group wearing face coverings and armed with knives; Lapierre inflicted the fatal wound.
- •Lapierre was two weeks short of his 19th birthday at the time of the offences.
- •The murder was an act of revenge for the killing of a gang member.
- •Lapierre had 14 previous convictions for 26 offences, including robbery and knife possession.
Legal Principles
Sentencing for murder involves considering aggravating and mitigating factors, including the defendant's age, intent, and prior convictions.
Sentencing Guidelines and Case Law
The court's determination of the defendant's intent is a matter of fact based on the evidence presented.
Case Law
The principle of totality requires the court to consider all sentences imposed on a defendant.
Case Law
Outcomes
The appeal against sentence was refused.
The court found that the judge's decision was not manifestly excessive. The judge appropriately considered the aggravating factors (premeditation, brutality, prior convictions) and the mitigating factor of the defendant's age, concluding that the latter carried little weight given the defendant's maturity and the severity of the crimes.