Party punch yob wins a year off his sentence

AN Oldham yob jailed for five years after beating up a New Year’s reveller and then threatening him if he persisted in pressing charges, has won a year off his sentence,

Andrew Loynes (25), put Steven Durkin on the ground with a single punch outside a house party in Oldham on New Year’s Day, 2008.

Loynes’s friend and co-defendant, Jon Simms, then punched another partygoer, Andrew Maguire, knocking him unconscious. Some time later, Loynes returned to the party, throwing items around the house and at Mr Durkin.

Several days later, Loynes, of Monkswood, Flora Street, bumped into Mr Durkin and Mr Maguire in the street and advised them both to drop any allegations against him.

Loynes, who has 26 previous convictions, wrote to both London appeal court judges, explaining how he was making the most of his time in custody.

Mrs Justice Rafferty, sitting alongside Judge Peter Jacobs remarked: “If this letter recites the position accurately, insight into his offending has begun.”

But she added: “Loynes had a very bad record.”

Allowing the appeal, she concluded that there was force in the argument that his jail term was too long, adding: “The judge was correct to identify the intimidation as being an extremely serious offence, threatening as it does the proper administration of justice.

“But this individual is still only 25 and five years, in our view, was too long.

“A sentence of four years would reflect the justice of the case.”