A man found guilty of rape has received an increased sentence after his case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Solicitor General, Alex Chalk QC MP.
Selfo Myrtaj, 28, approached the victim, who was unknown to him, when he saw her walking alone. On the pretence of offering the victim a ride home, he then drove her to nearby woodland and raped her.
On 17 December 2021, Myrtaj was sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment at Sheffield Crown Court. He was also made subject to a restraining order.
Following the sentencing, the Solicitor General referred the offender’s sentence to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.
On 23 February the Court of Appeal found his original sentence to be unduly lenient and increased it to 6 years’ imprisonment.
Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General, Alex Chalk QC MP said:
Selfo Myrtaj committed a sickening act of rape, deliberately targeting a woman who was alone and vulnerable. No sentence can wholly repair the damage that his actions have caused, but I do believe that this increased sentence better reflects the seriousness of his dreadful offending.