A MAN who sexually abused and raped a child under the age of 16 has had his sentence increased by two years.

The Court of Appeal’s ruling came on Thursday (23) following the intervention by the Attorney General, The Rt Hon Geoffrey Cox QC MP.

Yadwinder Singh, now aged 26, sexually abused a young girl under the age of 16 over a period of two years.

The abuse carried out by Singh, who was known to the victim, included touching and kissing.

He also raped her in her own home. When the victim cried and fought back, Singh would pinch her and pull her hair to keep her from crying out for help.

On October 23, 2019, Singh was sentenced at the Crown Court in Stoke on Trent to five years and six months’ imprisonment.

On Thursday, the Court of Appeal increased this to seven years and six months’ imprisonment, after the sentence was referred as being unduly lenient by the Attorney General, The Rt Hon Geoffrey Cox QC MP.

After the hearing, the Attorney General said: “The actions of the offender will have long-lasting effects on the victim who was young and vulnerable at the time of the offence. I am pleased to see a longer sentence imposed that reflects the harm carried out by the offender.”