|
The Star (Sheffield)
June 20, 2006
HEADLINE: Arsonist loses prison fight
SOURCE: The Star (Sheffield)
A MAN who set fire to his room in a terrace house has failed to get his potentially life-long jail term quashed.
David Andrew Pantellis was also sentenced for perverting the course of justice, after he falsely accused four taxi drivers of a sexual attack upon him.
Pantellis, aged 39, was sentenced to indefinite Imprisonment for Public Protection at Sheffield Crown Court last October, after pleading guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered after he set fire to items in his room in a house in Meadow Street, Dinning ton. He also admitted doing acts tending or intended to pervert the course of justice.
London's Criminal Appeal Court refused to quash the sentence, concluding Pantellis did pose a risk of significant risk of serious harm to the public, and ruled his minimum 16-month tariff was also not "manifestly excessive". Similar to a life term, Pantellis' IPP sentence means he will only ever be released if he can persuade the parole board he poses no public threat.
Mr Justice Leveson, sitting with Lord Justice Tuckey and Mr Justice Penry-Davey, said it could not be argued the arson was not a serious offence because of the risks it posed to neighbours of the terrace. He added: "We concur with the conclusion in the pre-sentence report of there being a high risk of serious harm to the public should he continue to offend." A probation officer's report referred to his history of alcohol misuse following the death of his long term partner in 1993.
Mr Justice Leveson said the background to that offence was his use of a taxi service in Rotherham several times in 2005, when he ran up a £155 bill.
In April last year, one driver drove him to the taxi premises where he paid the debt. But within two hours he had phoned police to allege he had been raped, claiming three other drivers were also involved in the sexual assault.
..................................................
|
Login
Register
FAQ
