Lyons faces return to prison for sex assault

High-profile aviation broker Anthony Lyons will go back to prison after the Court of Criminal Appeal found the six-month custodial sentence imposed on him for a violent sexual assault was “unduly lenient”.

Mr Justice John Murray said the appeal court had decided to allow the appeal brought by the DPP against the sentence, of six years with five-and-a-half years suspended, imposed on Lyons by Judge Desmond Hogan in July 2012.

“The court has reached its decision on the grounds that the mitigating grounds tendered, taken globally, could not in principle justify the suspension of all but six months of the custodial sentence, having regard to the gravity of the offence,” said Mr Justice Murray.