Supreme court rules reduction in marital rape sentencing was wrong

The DPP had argued the Court of Appeal should not have viewed a particular rape in isolation but rather as a "pattern of violent and abusive behaviour".

The Supreme Court, in a significant judgment concerning sentencing in rape cases, particularly for marital rape involving a pattern of violent and abusive behaviour, has said all those events, not just one in isolation, must be considered to arrive at a "just result".

Rape ordinarily merits a substantial "headline" sentence of about seven years before mitigation is considered and a custodial sentence "is all but inescapable", Mr Justice Peter Charleton said.