“Duration is not Dominant” – A Holistic Sentencing Framework for False Imprisonment and the Mandatory Deduction of Remand Time from Extended Driving Bans
Commentary on Baker & Ors v R [2025] EWCA Crim 807

1. Introduction

Baker & Ors v R is a 2025 judgment of the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) which re-examines sentencing for aggravated false imprisonment just one month after the Sentencing Council’s first guideline on Kidnap and False Imprisonment became effective. Four young men—Rhys Baker, Macari Jackson, Neeko Smith and Ronald Maketo—had abducted, assaulted and ransomed a victim for three-and-a-half hours. They received overall custodial sentences of eight years (Baker, Jackson, Smith) and seven years (Maketo). Jackson alone also faced a nine-month sentence for dangerous driving and an extended driving disqualification of nine years ten months.

Leave to appeal was granted only on the questions whether (i) the starting-point of 10 years’ custody adopted for the false imprisonment count was excessive, and (ii) the length of Jackson’s driving disqualification properly reflected time already spent on remand. The Court dismissed the custodial appeals but slightly reduced the disqualification uplift, while also correcting a recording error so that Smith and Maketo’s sentences are formally described as “detention in a young offender institution”.

2. Summary of the Judgment

• Custodial Sentences Upheld. A 10-year notional sentence (before plea reduction) was held to be an “entirely appropriate” starting point given the multiplicity of aggravating features.
• Holistic, Not Temporal, Approach. The Court stressed that length of detention is not the dominant metric; the sentencing court must weigh all aggravating factors identified in AG Reference (No. 92 & 93 of 2014).
• Driving Disqualification Adjusted. Jackson’s four-year discretionary ban was upheld, but the overall extension under ss.35A–35B Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 (RTOA) was reduced from 70 to 55 months to credit 15 months spent on remand.
• Record Corrected. Sentences for Smith and Maketo re-labelled as detention in a Young Offender Institution under the Sentencing Act 2020.

3. Analysis

3.1 Precedents Cited

The central authority relied upon was Attorney-General’s Reference (No. 92 of 2014) [2014] EWCA Crim 2713 (coupled in the transcript with No. 93). That reference distilled a non-exhaustive list of factors for assessing “gravity” in kidnap/false imprisonment cases—length of detention, violence, weapons, ransom demands, planning, number of offenders, vulnerability, etc. Those criteria effectively filled the vacuum before a formal guideline existed. Whilst the new 2025 Guideline could not be applied retrospectively, the Court affirmed that the AG’s Ref check-list was already embedded in common law and remained good law.

Other precedents surfaced only tangentially (e.g., case law on dangerous driving and on discounts for guilty pleas) but the judgment is primarily anchored in the 2014 authority.

3.2 Legal Reasoning

1. Equal Culpability. The trial judge had treated the four offenders as “jointly and equally” involved. The Court of Appeal endorsed that view: all wore balaclavas, occupied pre-assigned roles (driver, front-seat observer, rear-seat enforcers) and collectively imposed sustained violence and ransom demands.
2. Multi-Factor Aggravation. Violence with weapons, threats of murder, ransom demands, pre-planning, intimidation of third parties, and dangerous driving during police pursuit combined to place the offence “well above the middle of the range”. Hence 10 years was a legitimate headline figure even though the confinement lasted “only” 3.5 hours.
3. Dismissal of “Duration-Driven” Sentencing. The Court cautioned against fetishising the time element. A short detention with extreme terror may justify a higher penalty than a longer yet relatively benign restraint.
4. Plea Discounts. A uniform 20 % credit was given, reflecting mid-stage guilty pleas (Count 3 in June 2023, Count 4 on day of trial). The Court found no error.
5. Driving Disqualification Mechanics. Under ss.35A–35B RTOA, courts must extend discretionary bans to cover the offender’s projected period in custody; however, the period of actual remand must be netted off. The trial judge’s failure to deduct 15 months breached that statutory logic, hence correction.

3.3 Impact of the Judgment

• Clarifies Sentencing Methodology Pre- and Post-Guideline. Even with the new 2025 Guideline in force, many historic or transitional cases will still be litigated. The Court signals that the AG’s Ref 2014 factors remain authoritative and may sit comfortably alongside the Guideline’s structured tables.
• Affirms 10-Year Benchmark for Aggravated Group False Imprisonment. Practitioners can cite this case when advising on the likely starting point for similarly violent, ransom-motivated detentions lasting a few hours.
• Remand Credit Principle for Driving Bans. The Court explicitly recognises that time already served in custody counts toward the “extension” period under the RTOA. This eliminates any temptation to create de facto double punishment.
• Administrative Precision. The correction concerning “detention in a young offender institution” reminds sentencing judges to align the formal order with the defendant’s age on the conviction date, a frequent source of clerical error.

4. Complex Concepts Simplified

• False Imprisonment: Unlawful restraint of a person’s freedom of movement. It is a common-law offence distinct from kidnap (which also requires transportation).
• Section 20 OAPA 1861 (GBH): Offence of “maliciously wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm” without intent to cause GBH (contrasting with s.18 where intent is required).
• Dangerous Driving: Driving that falls far below the standard expected of a competent driver and clearly endangers life or property.
• Plea Discount: Sentence reduction for early guilty plea—up to one-third at first opportunity, tapering thereafter (Criminal Practice Direction and Sentencing Council Guideline on Guilty Pleas).
• Discretionary Disqualification (RTOA 1988, s.34): The court may ban a driver for any offence related to driving (e.g., dangerous driving) for a period it thinks fit.
• Extension of Disqualification (ss.35A-35B): To ensure the ban bites after release, courts add the anticipated custodial term to the discretionary period. Time already spent on remand must be deducted.

5. Conclusion

Baker & Ors v R cements two important propositions. First, the gravity of false imprisonment derives from a constellation of factors, not simply how long the victim is held. Sentencers must carry out a holistic assessment grounded in AG’s Reference (2014), now echoed in the 2025 Guideline. A 10-year starting point for a violent, ransom-motivated group abduction of short duration is unequivocally endorsed. Second, when applying the statutory mechanism that extends driving bans to cover prison time, courts must deduct any period the offender has already spent on remand, lest the extension become inflated.

Beyond these points the judgment is a cautionary tale in administrative accuracy: labels such as “imprisonment” vs “detention in a YO institution” and calculations of disqualification periods have real legal consequences. Together, these rulings refine the sentencing landscape for serious restraint offences and provide practitioners with clear, practical guidance for future cases.