Violent Orlingbury sex offender loses court appeal

An Orlingbury sex offender who brutally assaulted two women has lost a court appeal against his conviction and sentence.

Dean Futter was deemed such a risk to the public he was given an extended 15-year sentence of 12 years in prison and three extra years on licence by a judge at Northampton Crown Court in 2015.

He punched one woman in the face, breaking her jaw and leaving her requiring metal plates in 2013.

And two years later he punched another woman, attempted to stamp on her head and sexually assaulted her.

Futter, formerly of Orchard Crescent, admitted causing grievous bodily harm, causing actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice. He was convicted of making threats to kill and sexual assault and found not guilty of rape.

Yesterday (Friday) at the Court of Appeal in London he appealed against his conviction and sentence after permission to appeal had previously been refused by a single judge in 2016.

Michael Chambers, representing Futter, said a judge didn't take his autism into account and that he erred in not directing the jury on an expert forensic report over fingernail scrapings which would have challenged a victim's evidence.

He added that Futter argued he was 'incompetently' represented by his legal team at trial and that the total sentence, given his age of 25 at the time, was too harsh.

Mr Chambers said: "In all the circumstances the total sentence was manifestly excessive."

But just 10 minutes after retiring to consider the appeal Lady Justice Simler, Mrs Justice May and Mrs Justice Thornton comprehensively dismissed it.

They said a judge couldn't have taken his autism into account in 2015 because a report Futter produced saying he had autism was dated 2018, adding that there was no forensic report on fingernail scrapings.

They added that they found no support for the criticism of his legal team and that a judge was entitled to uplift the sexual assault sentence to 12 years and pass a series of concurrent

sentences, rather than passing consecutive sentences.

Passing judgment, Mrs Justice May said: "We have no hesitancy in dismissing all the applications before us."