New law will force offenders to attend sentencing after sex offender’s shocking case

An MP has backed legislation which will require offenders to attend court for sentencing.This comes two years after a West Norfolk man who plied a young girl with alcohol on a rabbit shooting trip before sexually assaulting her refused to attend his sentencing hearing.Malcolm Appleby, of St Mary’s Court in Middleton, received a 13-year jail term in 2023 following the incident on a field in Gaywood – but he was not in court to hear his fate.

Now, new measures in the Victims and Courts Bill that give judges powers to require offenders to come to court for sentencing hearings have been welcomed by James Wild, the North West Norfolk MP.Mr Wild has campaigned for this legislation since Appleby’s shocking case.Judges will now be able to impose longer sentences or sanctions in jail for those that fail to attend or seek to disrupt hearings.

Mr Wild said: “It is important for public confidence that justice is seen to be done. When defendants hide in their cells and fail to appear for sentencing, they are effectively abusing their victim and the victim’s family once again. “These measures will ensure offenders come to court or face a longer sentence or more restrictions in prison.”In 2023, a jury heard that Appleby invited a girl, who was 12 at the time, to join him for a night of rabbit shooting. Another child of the same age was also with them, who told the court that Appleby was holding hands with the girl on the walk to the field.They went on the trip at around 11pm at night, and once they arrived, Appleby placed a blanket on the ground and continuously gave the youngsters an alcoholic mixture.The boy could see that Appleby and the girl were in sleeping bags, with the defendant’s arm around her. The court also heard that the 39-year-old threatened to shoot the boy with an air rifle if he did not go out to the middle of the field, so he complied with the order.He then kissed the girl on the lips and touched her underneath her clothes.Appleby claimed he did not attend hearings and his sentencing because the trial had been “unfair from the start”.