Court of Appeal increases Brandon Smith’s sentence
Content note: sexual violence. On 21 November 2025, the Court of Appeal increased Brandon Smith’s sentence after a referral under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme. We’re using this case to explain how sentencing reviews work and what terms like ‘licence extension’ mean.
Smith, 25, from Denton in Greater Manchester, targeted a woman he did not know. The court heard he had watched her for around six months and learned her route to work. On the morning of 5 July 2024 he grabbed her during her commute, threatened to stab her if she made a sound, dragged her behind bushes and raped her. He then threatened to kill her mother if she reported the attack.
Smith denied his guilt throughout. He first said he had never met the victim and, when forensic evidence proved contact, he claimed she had consented. A jury at Bolton Crown Court found him guilty on all five counts on 8 January 2025.
On 30 April 2025, the judge sentenced him to 12 years and six months’ imprisonment and imposed a three-year licence extension. A restraining order was also made to protect the victim.
On 21 November 2025, the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to 17 years’ imprisonment with a three-year licence extension. According to the Government’s announcement on GOV.UK, the change followed a referral under the ULS scheme.
If you’re hearing about the ULS scheme for the first time, here’s the simple version. For specified serious offences, including rape, anyone can ask the Law Officers’ team to look at a sentence within 28 days of the original decision. If the Solicitor General or Attorney General thinks it may be too low, they refer it to the Court of Appeal to decide whether it was unduly lenient and to set a new sentence if needed.
‘Unduly lenient’ is a high bar. It doesn’t mean a sentence that some might see as on the low side. It means the original sentence fell outside the range available to a reasonable judge using the guidelines and the facts. The Court of Appeal does not retry the case; it checks the sentence in law.
Let’s clear up the terminology. The prison part is the custodial term. The licence part is a period of supervision after release with strict conditions. Breaking those conditions, or offending again, can lead to recall to prison. An extended licence adds extra years of supervision because the court assesses an ongoing risk to the public.
In this case the custody increased from 12 years and six months to 17 years. The three-year extended licence remains. Licence years do not shorten time in prison; they follow custody and are about monitoring, rehabilitation and protection in the community.
The Solicitor General, Rt Hon Ellie Reeves MP, welcomed the decision and said keeping dangerous offenders off the streets is central to reducing violence against women and girls. We can be clear about two things at once: survivors’ safety comes first, and the justice system should be open enough for the public to question outcomes.
What this means for you as a citizen is that there is a safeguard when a sentence for a serious crime appears too low. If a case concerns you, you can request a review via the Attorney General’s Office on GOV.UK, but you must do it within 28 days of sentencing. The court may leave the sentence as it is, or increase it where the legal test is met.
If you’ve been affected by sexual violence, you deserve support. You can contact Rape Crisis England & Wales, Victim Support, or your GP for confidential help. If you’re in immediate danger, call 999.