Groper fails to get term cut

A Wigan con artist who molested a young woman as she slept has failed to convince top judges that the jail term for his sex crime was too tough.
Wigan and Leigh Magistrates' CourtWigan and Leigh Magistrates' Court
Wigan and Leigh Magistrates' Court

Sean Liptrot groped the victim, aged in her 20s, after drinking alcohol.

And he was locked up for two and a half years at Liverpool Crown Court in March, after being found guilty of sexual assault.

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That was in addition to another two-and-a-half-year sentence he was handed at Nottingham Crown Court in November last year, for his part in a high-value fraud.

The 51-year-old, of Swinley Lane, Swinley, this week challenged his jail term for the sexual assault at the Court of Appeal in London.

His lawyers argued it was far too long and didn’t take enough account of his personal difficulties at the time.

But his complaints were rejected by Mr Justice William Davis, who ruled Liptrot could have no complaint.

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Sitting with Mrs Justice Simler, he added: “The reality was that the aggravating factors significantly outweighed whatever mitigating features there were in this case.”

Liptrot was given his sentence last November after admitting his part in running a £9m national shares rip-off operation.

The hearing was told that more than 100 people were fleeced out of their savings by his dodgy dealings.

He and two co-conspirators formed fake companies and stole millions from their victims who were duped into buying shares.

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The investigation by officers from Derbyshire Constabulary’s Economic Crime Unit began in March 2009 into the ring who were living in Thailand and arrested when they returned to the UK.

Among the multiple other victims, local officers were contacted by a man from Ilkeston who suspected he was a victim of the boiler room’ scam, and lost thousands of pounds which police say will never be recovered.

Liptrot pleaded guilty to converting criminal property on the basis of forming the company and opening the bank account of Alfort International Ltd, Pearlgate International Ltd and Valmont Services.

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