A former Leicestershire Police Special Constable who threatened to burn down a family’s house has had his sentence increased after intervention by the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP.

Shahib Asan, 23, engaged in a lengthy course of threatening conduct towards former family friends. This included sending threatening letters and text messages to members of the family. CCTV footage from a neighbour also captured him throwing paint stripper over a member of the family’s car.

Once under investigation, Asan claimed the messages were sent by someone who hacked his computer and took other elaborate steps to incriminate him, including planting his fingerprints on the threatening letters. While on bail awaiting trial, Asan sent further threatening messages to the father of the family, which he then again tried to claim were written by the ‘hacker’ who had framed him.

Asan was originally sentenced to a total of 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 2 years, for offences including harassment and perverting the course of justice. The Court of Appeal has today increased that to an immediate custodial sentence of 4 years and 9 months.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General said:

“The original sentence handed down was, in my view, unduly lenient. I hope the offender’s immediate imprisonment gives some comfort to the family who were harassed and lived under the threat of violence for a sustained period.”