Corkman used as 'pawn' for girlfriend's grudge has sentence increased for hatchet attack

David Long’s victim suffered a fractured skull, broken teeth and facial fractures from the assault which lasted between 10 and 15 minutes

Mr Justice Birmingham said the three-judge court would re-sentence Long to eight years’ imprisonment with the final 12 months suspended. File picture: Dan Linehan

A violent burglar who was used as a “pawn” by his then-girlfriend in carrying out a "vicious" hatchet attack on a man in the "sanctuary of his own home" has had his sentence increased by two years by the Court of Appeal.

The appellate judges said on Tuesday that had the trial judge set a headline sentence of 14 years before mitigation for David Long, who has 66 previous convictions, it is unlikely the court would have interfered.