THE Rape Crisis Centre in Belfast has described as "horrendous" a decision by a Crown Court judge to jail a man for five years for rape and then give him leave to appeal.
Mr Justice Sheil told Craig Francis Taylor (24), from the Donegall Road area of Belfast, that he was granting him leave to appeal "on my own motion".
Sentencing Taylor for the rape, which occurred in June 1993, the judge said his case had no aggravating features. Taylor was convicted last month by a 10-2 majority at his fourth trial for raping a 37 year old mother of seven from the Shankill Road area of Belfast.