SOFT touch justice came under fire after a court let off a serial sex offender with a shorter jail term than it gave a farmer for falsely selling barn eggs as “free-range”.
Two days earlier widower Anthony Clarkson, 59, who had been convicted of fraudulently marketing the barn eggs, was jailed by Preston Crown Court for two months longer – two and a half years.
Campaigner Rachel Horman, a solicitor and a board director of SafeNet which runs refuges for abused women, said: “It seems that financial crimes or fraud are treated more seriously than violent crimes against women.
“It’s not just an overhaul of sentencing guidelines that is needed – often there are powers there to impose a heavier sentence which people do not use. It’s a change in attitude.”
Ahmedi, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to sexual assault.
His light sentence came despite the court being told he had a previous conviction for indecent exposure and had breached his sexual offences prevention order on five occasions since 2011.
Both cases were heard at Preston Crown Court
Judge Mark Brown told Ahmedi: “She is obviously extremely distressed.”
Clarkson, who runs a number of food businesses, was caught selling eggs as free range produced at his farm in Whittingham, near Preston.
Kerdine Ahmedi was jailed for 28 months after he admitted sexually assaulting a woman
Food safety laws mean eggs have to be stamped with a unique producer code indicating whether the eggs are free range, barn produced or cage produced.
He was convicted on Monday of fraud by dishonestly misdescribing the farming method of the eggs.
A campaigner said ‘fraud is treated more seriously than violent crimes against women’
Michael Maher, defending, said Clarkson accepted he had committed fraud but added: “It’s not horse meat masquerading as fillet steak.”
The farmer faces further proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act.