Ulster Unionist Justice spokesperson, Doug Beattie MC MLA, said, “The Department of Justice consultation on early guilty plea is, as described by the Alliance Party, an incentive to speed up the criminal justice system and avoid unnecessary distress of victims attending court. However, the details of the proposals and the present system is not empowering victims but instead puts the power in the hands of the perpetrator.

“If someone who commits a crime admits guilt at their arraignment, when they can first make a plea, they are entitled to a third of their sentence. If they decide to plead not guilty because they want to wait, see how the evidence stacks up against them, before making a guilty plea, they will still get up to a quarter off their sentence. In simple terms. If someone is sentenced to 6 years for rape; that would be reduced to 4 years if they plead guilty early. However, if they wait till the day before the trials start to plead guilty, their sentence would be just 4 ½ years.

“Given how we allow sentences to be, in the most part, split to half behind bars and half on licence, it means a 6-year term for rape, with time off for an early plea, would see the perpetrator do just 2 years behind bars, 2 ¼ if they pleaded guilty late.

“As the Ulster Unionist Party spokesperson, I believe this is totally unacceptable and fundamental change is needed. If a prisoner pleads guilty at the earliest opportunity, they should expect a quarter off their sentence. This should be a one-off opportunity, taking the power out of the hands of the perpetrator and empowering the victim. If, at a later stage, the perpetrator were to plead guilty, then any time that is taken off their sentence is taken off the licence and not the custodial element of the sentence. That sentence credit should be no more than a fifth of their sentence.

“It is time we put victims first, it is time victims were not subject to the whim of those who made them victims.”