GMP officer who tried to rape woman he met in pub could get longer in jail for 'lenient' sentence
08.09.2022 - 13:17
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A Greater Manchester Police officer who tried to rape a woman in a 'deplorable' violent sex attack will have his sentence reviewed by the Court of Appeal.
Ernesto Ceraldi was jailed for five years and four months at Preston Crown Court in June this year. He pleaded guilty to attempted rape and assault occasioning actual bodily harm at an earlier hearing.
The court heard the victim, from Rossendale, was left bloodied and bruised after the 44-year-old repeatedly punched and throttled her as he tried to force her to perform a sex act on him. At the time, Ceraldi was off duty but was a serving tactical dog handler at GMP with 21 years service.
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His jail term has now been referred to the Court of Appeal by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) under the unduly lenient sentence scheme, LancsLive reports. Lawyers representing the AGO are expected to argue at a hearing today (September 8) that Ceraldi’s sentence was not long enough for his crime and should be increased.
During the hearing held in June, David Traynor, prosecutor, said Ceraldi, a married father-of-two, met his victim in a pub on April 1. He told her what he did for a living and showed her photos of his dog.
The victim invited him back to her home where they drank wine and engaged in consensual sexual activity, before sitting on the sofa and talking together. Mr Traynor said the victim described a stage when the defendant’s attitude 'changed all of a sudden' and he began to demand she perform a sexual act on him and grabbed her hair.
He pushed her against a wall, causing a picture to fall and smash, and put his hand around her throat, the court heard. Mr Traynor