This morning (11.11.21) the Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ) and the campaign group We Can’t Consent to This (WCCTT) applied for permission to intervene in the sentencing appeal hearing of Sam Pybus.
Pybus’ sentence of 4 years and 8 months for the killing of Sophie Moss will be reviewed tomorrow (Friday 12th) by the Court of Appeal, after the Attorney General referred this case as potentially Unduly Lenient.
This application to intervene in a sentencing appeal under the unduly lenient scheme is unique. CWJ and WCCTT have applied to intervene to ensure the court has information on the latest understanding of the harms of strangulation, and the prevalence and understanding of strangulation within the context of domestic abuse.
This intervention by WCCTT and CWJ is supported by both Sophie Moss’s former partner and children’s father, Daniel Parkington, and by Sam Pybus’s now ex-wife, Louise Howitt. Louise has spoken of Sam Pybus's history of non-consensual strangulation in their relationship. Daniel, father to Sophie’s children, strongly refutes that Sophie would have been a willing participant in strangulation.
Harriet Wistrich, director of the Centre for Women’s Justice stated
“We have applied to intervene given grave public concerns raised by the sentencing of Pybus. Our two organisations were instrumental in introducing new offences relating to strangulation within the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. The evidence we provided to parliament persuaded them of the need to pass this legislation – however, that understanding does not appear to have filtered through to the courts. We hope the criminal appeal court will take this opportunity to provide guidance in such cases strangulation causes death and when men assert unchallenged that the victim consented.”
Fiona Mackenzie, We Can’t Consent to This said
““Sam Pybus’s sentence is outrageously low. This year the Government made new law on ‘rough sex’ defences and on strangulation in response to exactly this kind of case: strangulation of women being normalised and treated by the criminal justice system as a minor offence.”
Louise Howitt, ex-wife of Sam Pybus ““I’m extremely hopeful that the Court of Appeal will extend my ex-husband’s sentence to truly reflect the grief he has caused for Sophie’s family and friends. Sophie was a victim of abuse and exploitation, in no way responsible for her own death and deserves justice.”
ENDS