Derbyshire man jailed after domestic abuse sentence ruled 'unduly lenient'
The 33 year old was initially handed a suspended sentence - which has now been overturned at the Court of Appeal
A Derbyshire man who subjected his partner to years of abuse, including breaking her arm, is now serving a prison sentence after the Court of Appeal ruled his original sentence was too lenient.
Luke Pollard, 33, of Meadow Court in Grassmoor, had initially received a two-year suspended sentence at Nottingham Crown Court in June after admitting to causing grievous bodily harm and engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour.
The case was referred to the Attorney General by police, leading to a hearing at the Court of Appeal in London on November 26.
The court decided the sentence was unduly lenient and imposed a two-year prison sentence.
Pollard frequently assaulted the woman, threatened to kill her, and controlled her life. His behaviour alienated her from her family and friends, imposing strict rules she was forced to follow.
The abuse came to light after a violent assault at their home in October 2022, where Pollard broke the woman’s arm.
He pushed and punched her during the incident, continuing the assault as she fell to the floor.
She suffered severe bruising on her arms and back, cuts and grazes to her face and head, and a broken arm.
Pollard was not present at the Court of Appeal hearing in London but handed himself in to police afterwards and is currently serving his sentence.
Detective Sergeant Michael Verdi, of Derbyshire Police, said:
“Pollard’s actions meant this woman suffered years of hell and wasn’t able to live her life how she wanted."
"She was constantly in fear and I know that she will still be dealing with the effects of his behaviour towards her for some time to come.
"She has shown incredible courage and strength in standing up against her abuser and ensuring he is brought to justice for these crimes. I’d like to thank her for her support throughout this case and hope she is now looking forward to a brighter future, free of this abuse.
"I am really pleased that the Court of Appeal agreed with our view that the initial sentence handed out to Pollard was unduly lenient and that he will now be spending some time in prison for these offences."