On 19 March 2026 the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) increased the custodial sentence imposed on Ionut Tanae from eight years and six months to twelve years and one month. The increase followed a reference by the Solicitor General under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme, according to an Attorney General’s Office statement published on GOV.UK. (gov.uk)
The government release records that Tanae, aged 33 and from Nelson, Lancashire, raped the victim on two occasions. He then broke into her home seeking to persuade her to withdraw the complaint and, after being remanded in custody, wrote to her again with the same aim. The victim’s statement described depression, anxiety and significant shame. (gov.uk)
Tanae was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on 26 November 2025 for two counts of rape, two counts of perverting the course of justice and one count of burglary. The Court of Appeal increased the sentence on 19 March 2026 following the Law Officer’s referral. (gov.uk)
The ULS scheme enables the Attorney General or Solicitor General to ask the Court of Appeal to review certain Crown Court sentences that appear unduly low. The scheme is founded in the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and associated orders, and Law Officers take referral decisions independently when acting in the public interest. (gov.uk)
Any person-not only the victim-may ask the Attorney General’s Office to consider a Crown Court sentence for referral. If a case is taken forward, the Law Officers must lodge it with the Court of Appeal no later than 5pm on the last working day within 28 calendar days of sentencing. The Court may then uphold the sentence, find it unduly lenient and increase it, or refuse to hear the case. (gov.uk)
When considering a Law Officer’s reference, the Court of Appeal applies a high threshold. It will not increase a sentence simply because it might have imposed a higher term; intervention is reserved for sentences that fall outside the range a judge, applying the correct principles and guidelines, could reasonably impose. (sentencingcouncil.org.uk)
Even where that threshold is met, the Court retains discretion in the interests of justice. In rare circumstances it may decline to interfere-for example where a non-custodial sentence has been served with exceptional progress-or apply a modest ‘double jeopardy’ discount to reflect the anxiety of being sentenced twice. (sentencinghub.sentencingacademy.org.uk)
Victims should be informed of outcomes and routes to review. The Ministry of Justice’s Code of Practice confirms that victims can ask the Attorney General to consider a referral for certain offences, that the request must be made swiftly so the strict 28‑day deadline can be met, and that Witness Care Units will explain the scheme alongside the sentence. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
Parliamentary and government material describes the ULS scheme as a safeguard for correcting gross sentencing errors in a limited set of serious offences. The scheme has operated since 1989 and has been extended over time to cover additional categories, including serious sexual offences. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk)