Judge criticised for describing Norfolk sex attacker as 'Jack the lad' as sentence is increased

A judge who described a convicted sex predator as a "Jack the lad" when sentencing him has been criticised by a Court of Appeal judge.

Aaron Hewson, 33, had been jailed in April for three years and 11 months after three sexual assaults on women, but has now had his sentence almost doubled to seven years at the Court of Appeal.

Hewson, who had a history of sexual offences dating back to his youth, also admitted being in possession of an extreme pornographic image.

Lady Justice Macur, who oversaw a Court of Appeal hearing in London, said she "deplored" Recorder John Hardy's indication that Hewson was "Jack the lad".

She described Hewson's offending as "predatory".

Hewson, 33, of Cromer in Norfolk, had denied the charges.

Three appeal judges - Lady Justice Macur, Mrs Justice Cockerill and Mr Justice Murray - increased his jail term to seven years after concluding the original sentence was unduly lenient.

They upheld an appeal by Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson against the original sentence, who was represented by barrister Paul Jarvis.

Mr Tomlinson had argued the original sentence was unduly lenient and should be increased.

Lady Justice Macur said appeal judges had concluded there had been "significant flaws" in Recorder Hardy's approach to sentencing.

She said Recorder Hardy had indicated when passing sentence that evidence suggested Hewson was a "Jack the lad character".

"We deplore the judge's description as indicating that the defendant was 'Jack the lad'," she said. "This offending was predatory."

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