Northampton child rapist has jail term doubled

Philip Mshelia, 25, of Freeschool Street, subjected the victim to a series of horrific rapes when she was just nine or 10 years old.

He was aged about 17 at the time and he later went to university, got a degree and didn’t commit any further offences.

But, in 2014, his crimes came to light after he contacted his victim through Facebook.

She then confronted him and recorded their conversation, during which he admitted what he had done to her.

Mshelia was jailed for six years at Woolwich Crown Court in March, after admitting two counts of raping a child.

However, following a referral by the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC, his sentence was increased to 12 years by judges sitting at London’s Court of Appeal.

Mr Wright’s lawyers argued that Mshelia’s six-year jail term simply didn’t do justice to the fact the victim was a young child who suffered horrific abuse at his hands.

Doubling his jail term, Lady Justice Sharp said: “Our judgment is, and clearly is, that the sentence of six years which was imposed in this case was unduly lenient.”

The judge, sitting with Mr Justice Warby and Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, added: “In our judgment, a sentence of 12 years was the appropriate one to pass.”

Mshelia, who appeared in court over a video link from prison, simply nodded as a court official confirmed the result of the hearing.