A rapist from Hackney Wick has had his jail sentence lengthened by two years after appeal judges decided the initial punishment was insufficient.

The man, Kieran Mullen, aged 34 and living on Dace Road, was found guilty of three sexual assault offences in York together with one rape and one sexual assault committed in the capital.

The offences occurred in York during 2013 and in London during 2020, according to reports.

He was handed an 11-year custodial sentence last autumn, but this was referred to the Court of Appeal through the unduly lenient sentence review process.

In January, appeal judges ruled the initial sentence was overly lenient.

His imprisonment was subsequently extended to 13 years.

One of the victims gave a statement during the initial sentencing, saying before meeting him she always believed in the goodness of people and trusted others easily. That all changed the night of the assault.

He subjected her to humiliating violence. He violated her in a way she struggled to express. She would never forget how he made her feel that night, like a worthless object to be used as he pleased.

She should have been able to grow into adulthood and discover her own identity, but he destroyed her sense of self-worth and confidence during a crucial period of her life. For years afterward she felt worthless and taken advantage of.

Now, standing there after so much time had passed and knowing she was finally believed, that every jury member heard her and acknowledged the truth, and that he would finally face justice, had transformed how she felt.

She had spent years feeling intimidated by him, fearful of him, since the assault, but she had been heard and believed and felt validated. The balance had shifted and now she had regained some power as well.

He would have to face the consequences for his actions, as she had been doing for all these years.

The unduly lenient sentence scheme permits members of the public to request that crown court sentences be examined by the attorney general’s office if they believe the punishment is insufficient.

Legal officers then assess the case and may subsequently ask the Court of Appeal to reconsider the sentence, as occurred in this instance.